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Eggplant Lasagna is a delicious low-carb way to enjoy the classic flavors of lasagna! The tender eggplant layers are loaded with meat sauce, a creamy ricotta mixture, and lots of melty cheese. You won’t even miss the noodles!
If you love all things lasagna like I do, try The BEST Lasagna Ever next, or this Skillet Lasagna to switch things up! Then give this delicious Seafood Lasagna a try, it’s SO good!
Reasons to Make This Lasagna
- Low-Carb: A great low-carb dinner option because it’s made without noodles.
- A Great Way to Sneak in Veggies: This lasagna has so much flavor and your family won’t even tell the difference. The eggplant adds nutrition and texture!
- A Fun Twist on Lasagna: Switching up the lasagna with eggplant is different but SO tasty! You won’t even miss the noodles.
Eggplant Lasagna
This low-carb eggplant lasagna is a fun change whether you’re gluten-free, on a low-carb diet, or just want to try something a little different. The eggplant is tender, the meat sauce is tasty, and the ricotta cheese layer gives it that signature lasagna touch. Every bite is delicious and you won’t even believe it has eggplant. It’s a great way to sneak in veggies and make your family a nutritious dinner.
This eggplant lasagna is cheesy, hearty and sure to be a hit with everyone in your family. Make it a complete meal by serving it with this fresh salad and some homemade garlic knots!
Eggplant Lasagna Ingredients
A little bit longer of a list, but trust me, the flavors in this lasagna make everything worth it. Follow the recipe card below for exact amounts.
Eggplant
- Eggplant: I used two large eggplants for this recipe.
- Salt: To help sweat the eggplant and release the moisture.
- Olive Oil: To brush on the eggplant.
Meat Sauce
- Onion: Minced onion adds the best flavor to the lasagna.
- Italian Sausage: I love the Italian sausage in this recipe but you can use ground beef or ground turkey.
- Crushed Tomatoes and Tomato Sauce: The tomato base of this meat sauce.
- Garlic: Minced garlic is a must in Italian recipes.
- Italian Seasoning: Flavor the sauce with Italian seasonings.
- Sugar: Just a little bit helps balance out the flavors in the sauce.
- Fresh Basil: Chopped and added for flavor.
- Salt and Pepper: Season to taste.
Ricotta Layer
- Ricotta Cheese: A creamy key ingredient in lasagna recipes.
- Egg: Helps bind the ricotta layer and cheeses together.
- Mozzarella Cheese and Parmesan Cheese: This cheesy blend makes up the ricotta layer and is crucial in any lasagna!
Cheese Topping
- Mozzarella Cheese and Parmesan Cheese: The parmesan and mozzarella make the perfect cheesy top!
- Fresh Basil and Parsley: For garnish and added flavor.
How to Make Homemade Eggplant Lasagna
I walk you through every step to making this amazing eggplant lasagna! Pictures and instructions help make any recipe doable.
Eggplant
- Slice and Sweat the Eggplant: Wash the eggplants and slice them lengthwise into ½ inch slices. To sweat out extra moisture from the eggplant, generously rub each side with salt and place the slices on two baking sheets.
- Soak up the Moisture: Let the eggplant rest for about 20 minutes to sweat out excess moisture. While the eggplant is sweating, preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Use a paper towel to soak up the moisture from the eggplants and brush away any excess salt.
- Bake the Eggplant Slices: Brush the eggplant with olive oil and bake until they are tender and browned, about 20-25 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool. Reduce the temperature of the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Meat Sauce
- Cook the Sausage and Onions: In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Cook onions and Italian sausage, until the sausage is cooked through.
- Add the Remaining Sauce Ingredients: To the skillet add the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, garlic, Italian seasoning, sugar, basil, and salt and pepper.
- Heat the Sauce: Saute everything together until it comes to a gentle boil and remove from heat.
Ricotta Layer
- Mix the Ricotta Mixture: In a bowl, whisk together the ricotta cheese, egg, mozzarella, and parmesan cheese.
Assemble
- Layer the Sauce and Eggplant in the Pan: Spray a 9×15-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Spread about ⅓ cup of the meat sauce on the bottom of the pan. Lay the eggplant in an even layer on the meat sauce.
- Add the Ricotta Mixture and Repeat the Layers: Spread half of the ricotta mixture on the eggplant, then pour half the meat sauce on the ricotta. Repeat these steps one more time and top it off with the shredded mozzarella and parmesan cheeses.
- Bake: Bake the lasagna for 25-30 minutes, the cheese should be bubbly and brown on the top.
- Serve: Remove from the oven and allow the lasagna to rest for 10 minutes before garnishing and serving.
Tips and Variations
This eggplant lasagna is so versatile! I have lots of options to make it just the way you like it.
- Eggplant: The size of eggplants can vary, and some may have more slices than others (especially if you slice them a bit thinner), so feel free to build another layer if two layers of eggplant don’t seem like they will be enough. You really can’t go wrong here.
- Make it Spicy: If you want this to be spicy, add some red pepper flakes to the marinara/beef mixture.
- Swap the Meat: Feel free to swap the sausage with ground beef or ground turkey. A combination of sausage and beef would also be delicious!
- Vegetarian Option: If you want to make this vegetarian, just use marinara sauce as-is, or sauté some mushrooms and spinach and add it in instead of the meat.
Storing and Reheating Leftovers
Let your eggplant lasagna cool completely before storing it. They make great leftovers for lunch the next day.
- In the Refrigerator: Cover the lasagna tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Keep it in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- To Reheat: To reheat, pop your lasagna in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until warmed through. You can also use the microwave for single servings!
More Italian Recipes to Try
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Eggplant Lasagna
Eggplant Lasagna is a delicious low-carb way to enjoy the classic flavors of lasagna! The tender eggplant layers are loaded with meat sauce, a creamy ricotta mixture, and lots of melty cheese. You won't even miss the noodles!
Ingredients
Meat Sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion, minced
- 1 pound Italian sausage
- 28 ounces can crushed tomatoes,
- 6.5 ounces can tomato sauce,
- 6 ounces can tomato paste,
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
Ricotta layer
- 16 ounces ricotta cheese
- 1 large egg
- ⅔ cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
- ⅔ cup parmesan cheese, shredded
Cheese topping
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 1 cup parmesan cheese, shredded
- fresh basil and parsley, for garnish
Instructions
Eggplant
- Wash the eggplants and slice them, lengthwise, into ½ inch slices. To sweat out extra moisture from the eggplant, generously rub each side with salt and place the slices on two baking sheets.
- Let the eggplant rest for about 20 minutes to sweat out excess moisture. While the eggplant is sweating, preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Use a paper towel to soak up the moisture from the eggplants and brush away any excess salt.
- Brush the eggplant with olive oil and bake until they are tender and browned, about 20-25 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool. Reduce the temperature of the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Meat Sauce
- In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Cook onions and Italian sausage, until the sausage is cooked through.
- To the skillet add the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, garlic, Italian seasoning, sugar, basil, and salt and pepper.
- Saute everything together until it comes to a gentle boil and remove from heat.
Ricotta Layer
- In a bowl, whisk together the ricotta cheese, egg, mozzarella, and parmesan cheese.
Assemble
- Spray a 9×15-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Spread about ⅓ cup of the meat sauce on the bottom of the pan. Lay the eggplant in an even layer on the meat sauce.
- Spread half of the ricotta mixture on the eggplant, then pour half the meat sauce on the ricotta. Repeat these steps one more time and top it off with the shredded mozzarella and parmesan cheeses.
- Bake the lasagna for 25-30 minutes, the cheese should be bubbly and brown on the top.
- Remove from the oven and allow the lasagna to rest for 10 minutes before garnishing and serving.
Nutrition
Calories: 532kcalCarbohydrates: 7gProtein: 28gFat: 43gSaturated Fat: 19gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 19gTrans Fat: 0.003gCholesterol: 125mgSodium: 1.534mgPotassium: 289mgFiber: 1gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 640IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 521mgIron: 2mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Tried this recipe?Mention @alyssa_therecipecritic or tag #therecipecritic!
Made this today for dinner. I must say it tastes great BUT when I tried to take the eggplant off the sheet after roasting it, it mushed up like an accordion. I’m not sure what went wrong? There was no way I was able to make 2 layers of eggplant. It was like eating a yummy meat sauce. Glad I had a baguette to help shovel in the lasagna.
My husband said I can try it again in the future but to add lasagna noodles.
I rarely eat and never cook eggplant, so please give me instructions for roasting the eggplant. This recipe sounds good and I would love to try it.
The casserole looks so tasty. I hope without the Italian seasoning, it still tastes wonderful 🙂