Eggplant Lasagna

I love eggplant, and currently have six plants in my garden. They have grown long thin eggplants, and this year, it seemed that many of their long fingers ripened at once. Yesterday I harvested 24 Ichiban Eggplants. I thought about what I could do and it came to me…Eggplant lasagna!

1. So I peeled the Eggplant, sliced them in half, and tossed them in Italian bread crumbs. Then I put them on a PAM sprayed cookie sheet, gave them a little pray on their upper side, and roasted in the oven at 425 degree for 20 minutes, turn and cook for another 15 minutes or until they are nicely browned on both sides.
2. Once roasted, I set them on wire racks to cool.
3. Meanwhile, I had my own Spaghetti Sauce, made with Italian Sausage, that I thawed and had standing by.
4. I used 8 ounces of Ricotta Cheese mixed with 1 egg. (Or 1/4 cup of egg whites) Whip it thoroughly.
5. Cook 6 lasagna noodles.
6. Get a 9X11 inch glass pan. Spray with PAM or other nonstick spray.
7. Layer:

• Spread a small amount of spaghetti sauce on bottom of pan.
• Lay one layer of lasagna noodles in pan. (mine hold three across.)
• Spread spaghetti sauce on noodles.
• Place a layer of Eggplant in the same direction of the noodles.
• Take some shredded Mozzarella cheese and place over eggplant lightly.
• Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top of that.
• Then place dollops of Ricotta mixture on top of that, and then spread all over the top of the eggplants.
• Then place the second layer of noodles across this.
• Cover with spaghetti sauce.
• Then place the second layer off eggplant on top of this.
• Then sprinkle a fair amount of Mozzarella cheese.
• Lastly, take some Parmesan cheese and sprinkle on the top.

1. Cook in a 350 degree oven for 50-55 minutes. Make sure cheese is melted and bubbly.
2. Take out of oven and set on the top of stove, turning off the heat.
3. Let sit for about 10 minutes so it will “jell” and be easier to cut.

If you have any questions, let me know. I will be trying this with regular eggplant this winter, when my garden stops producing.