Eggplant Lasagna (Lasagne di Melanzane)

This easy vegetarian Eggplant Lasagne, Lasagne di Melanzane recipe is a a flavorful, filling Italian dinner. It comes together with silky baked eggplant, a quick homemade sauce and no-boil noodles.

I swear this isn't as sinful as it looks!

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Hearty, satisfying eggplant lasagna layered with silky baked eggplant, a quick San Marzano tomato sauce, mozzarella, and Parmigiano-Reggiano. A fully vegetarian Italian dinner that uses no-boil noodles and comes together in about an hour and a half.

Serving this for a crowd? Our roundup of the best sides for lasagna takes all the guesswork out of what to make alongside it - and if you want a meat version for another night, our Rigatoni alla Bolognese uses the same San Marzano base.

I have a serious weakness for lasagna. I could eat it every single day and never get tired of it. The problem is I am not always the most organized dinner planner - most of my cooking ideas hit me around 4:46 PM when everyone is already hungry. This is exactly why I keep no-boil noodles in the cabinet at all times. When I find a box, I do a little lasagna dance. My family knows what that means.

This eggplant lasagna came out of one of those spontaneous evenings. I baked the eggplant instead of frying it - less mess, less oil, and honestly just as delicious. Someone in this house is not a fan of eggplant. She ate most of the lasagna before she realized it had eggplant in it, which I consider a personal victory.

The sauce is simple and comes together while the eggplant bakes. San Marzano tomatoes, a little olive oil, basil, and patience. That is all it takes. This is the kind of Italian dinner that looks like you spent hours on it and rewards you for the whole week in leftovers.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• Fully vegetarian - satisfying enough that no one will miss the meat
• Baked eggplant instead of fried - less mess and much lighter
• Quick homemade San Marzano sauce that comes together in 30 minutes
• No-boil noodles mean no extra pot to clean
• Can be assembled a full day ahead and baked when ready

Ingredient Notes

• Extra virgin olive oil - Used for both the sauce and brushing the eggplant before baking. A good olive oil makes a real difference in a simple sauce like this.
• Eggplant - One large eggplant, about 2 pounds. Cut lengthwise into slices about ⅓ inch thick. You do not need to salt and press the eggplant for this recipe since baking rather than frying draws out the excess moisture naturally.
• All-purpose flour - Just 1 to 2 tablespoons, used to lightly dredge the eggplant slices before baking. It helps them develop a slightly firmer texture in the oven.
• Whole peeled plum tomatoes - Two 28-ounce cans, undrained. San Marzano tomatoes are the best choice here - they are sweeter and less acidic than standard canned tomatoes and make a noticeably better sauce. Look for the DOP certified label for the real thing.
• Onion - One medium onion, diced, sautéed in olive oil as the base of the sauce. This is listed in the instructions but missing from the original ingredient list - do not skip it.
• Fresh basil - Six leaves, sliced into a chiffonade (thin ribbons). Add it to the sauce while it simmers rather than at the end so the flavor cooks in. Fresh basil only - dried basil in this sauce will not give you the same result.
• Salt and pepper - Season the eggplant before baking and adjust the sauce to taste as it simmers. Do not under-season the sauce.
• Parmigiano-Reggiano - Three quarters of a cup, freshly grated. Buy a wedge and grate it yourself if at all possible - the flavor and melt are completely different from pre-grated cheese in a container.
• Mozzarella - One and a half cups, shredded. Low-moisture mozzarella works best here since it melts cleanly without releasing too much water into the layers. Part-skim is fine if you prefer.
• No-boil lasagna noodles - Nine noodles for a standard 13 x 9-inch dish. No-boil noodles absorb moisture from the sauce as they bake, so make sure there is enough sauce in each layer to keep them from drying out. Barilla is a reliable brand.

Make Ahead and Storage

This lasagna can be fully assembled up to one day in advance. Cover tightly and refrigerate. When ready to bake, take it out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before it goes into the oven and add about 10 minutes to the covered bake time since it will be going in cold.

Leftovers keep covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat individual portions in the microwave or reheat the whole dish covered in the oven at 350°F until warmed through. The lasagna also freezes well - slice into portions, wrap individually, and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

How to Make Eggplant Lasagna

Step 1: Make the Tomato Sauce

Pulse the canned tomatoes and their juices in a food processor until coarsely chopped - you want texture, not a puree. In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Sauté the diced onion until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes, salt, and basil, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer partially covered for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust seasoning. If you like heat, this is the moment to add red pepper flakes.

Step 2: Bake the Eggplant

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Arrange the eggplant slices on a baking sheet. Lightly dredge each slice in flour, then brush both sides with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, flipping once halfway through, until the slices are tender and lightly golden. The exact time depends on how thick you sliced them. Set aside.

Step 3: Assemble the Lasagna

Increase the oven temperature to 375°F. Lightly coat a 13 x 9-inch baking dish with cooking spray.

Spread about ¼ cup of sauce across the bottom of the dish. Lay 3 no-boil noodles in a single layer. Top with half the baked eggplant slices, about ¾ cup of sauce, ½ cup of mozzarella, and ¼ cup of Parmigiano-Reggiano. Add a second layer of 3 noodles and repeat: remaining eggplant, ¾ cup sauce, ½ cup mozzarella, ¼ cup Parmigiano. Finish with the final 3 noodles. Spread the remaining sauce over the top and scatter the last ½ cup of mozzarella and ¼ cup of Parmigiano over everything.

Step 4: Bake

Cover tightly with foil and bake at 375°F for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and golden and the edges are starting to crisp. Let the lasagna rest for at least 10 minutes before cutting - this is not optional. The layers need time to set so the slices hold together.

Expert Tips

• Make the sauce while the eggplant bakes so both are ready at the same time. The 30-minute simmer and the 10 to 15 minute eggplant bake overlap nicely if you start the sauce first.
• Do not rush the sauce simmer. Thirty minutes is what transforms canned tomatoes into a sauce that tastes like it has been cooking all day. A shorter simmer gives you something thinner and sharper.
• Make sure each layer has enough sauce to hydrate the no-boil noodles. If the sauce looks sparse in any layer, add a little more. Dry noodles will not soften properly.
• The 10-minute rest after baking is essential. Cutting too early means the layers will slide apart. Cover loosely with foil while it rests to keep it warm.
• This lasagna is even better the next day. The layers firm up overnight and the flavors deepen. Reheat covered in a 350°F oven for about 20 minutes.

Make Ahead and Storage

This lasagna can be fully assembled up to one day in advance. Cover tightly and refrigerate. When ready to bake, take it out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before it goes into the oven and add about 10 minutes to the covered bake time since it will be going in cold.

Leftovers keep covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat individual portions in the microwave or reheat the whole dish covered in the oven at 350°F until warmed through. The lasagna also freezes well - slice into portions, wrap individually,  and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

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5 from 6 votes

Eggplant Lasagna (Lasagne di Melanzane)

This easy vegetarian Eggplant Lasagne recipe is a a flavorful, filling Italian dinner. It comes together with silky baked eggplant, a quick homemade sauce and no-boil noodles. Totally worth the effort and is a family favorite!

Prep Time45 minutes mins

Cook Time40 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr 25 minutes mins

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: eggplant, lasagna, pasta, vegetarian

Servings: 1 large casserole

Calories: 675kcal

Author: Lora

Ingredients

• 2 -4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large eggplant about 2 pounds total, cut lengthwise into ⅓-inch-thick slices
• 1-2 tablespoon AP flour
• 2 cans 28 ounces each whole peeled plum tomatoes, undrained (I used San Marzano)
• Salt and pepper
• 6 basil leaves chiffonade
• ¾ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• 1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese you could use part skim if you prefer
• 9 no-boil or oven-ready lasagna noodles
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

SAUCE

• Pulse tomatoes and juices in a food processor until coarsely chopped. In a large sauce pan, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Sauté' the onion until translucent. Add the tomato puree, salt, and chopped basil and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer, partially covered, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes. (adjust flavoring in sauce to your taste. If you like it spicy, go ahead and make it spicy!)

EGGPLANT

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Slice eggplant into thin strips and place on a baking sheet. Dredge in a little flour and brush with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake until tender turning once (about 10-15 minutes; baking time depends on how thick you slice them).

ASSEMBLE

• Spread ¼ cup sauce in the bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange 3 lasagna noodles crosswise in single layer in dish.
• Arrange 3 lasagna noodles slightly overlapping over the pasta sauce; top with half of eggplant slices, ¾ cup pasta sauce, ½ cup of mozzarella cheese, and ¼ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano sprinkled on top. Repeat layers, ending with noodles. Spread remaining pasta sauce over noodles. Sprinkle with ½ cup mozzarella and ¼ cup  Parmigiano-Reggiano. Cover and bake at 375° for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 15 minutes or until cheese melts. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Nutrition Disclaimer

Please keep in mind that the nutritional information presented below is an approximation and may vary depending on the exact ingredients used.

Notes

If you would like to plan this, go ahead! This can be made 1 day ahead. Chill in fridge until next day when you are ready to bake it.
Use your favorite ready-made sauce, if you prefer. I can't recommend a brand as I prefer my own and it comes together so quickly.

Nutrition

Calories: 675kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 54g | Saturated Fat: 24g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 22g | Cholesterol: 133mg | Sodium: 1054mg | Potassium: 154mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1264IU | Vitamin C: 0.5mg | Calcium: 856mg | Iron: 1mg

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