Vegetarian Eggplant Lasagna

Why you’re going to love it

It can be tough to find an easy vegetarian lasagna that appeals to both vegetarians and meat eaters alike. But whichever you are – ‘meat lasagna die-hard’ or ‘veggies all the way’ kind of person, you might be surprised how much you enjoy this yummy eggplant lasagna.

I sometimes call this lasagna alla norma because the sauce is just like the sauce I use in this very popular and equally as delicious pasta alla norma recipe!

So what’s so great about it?

• No tiresome white sauce to make. Just combine ricotta cheese with an egg and parmesan for a creamy and delicious replacement for a traditional white sauce.

• It’s a hearty dinner, almost ‘meaty’ in texture.

• It’s quick and easy to make. You need around 30 minutes to make it. Then pop it in the oven and put your feet up while it bakes.

• It’s completely meat free, but it tastes rich, cheesy and flavoursome. Not watery and disappointing like some veggie lasagnas I’ve tried.

• It’s budget friendly, serving 6 as a main with sides.

• Stuffed full of eggplant, tomatoes and garlic, it’s healthy! It’s also fairly low-carb with just 2 layers of lasagna sheets.

• There’s usually enough sauce left over for another meal. Scroll further down for ideas!

About the ingredients

Reading between the lines, you only need around 6 main ingredients to make this. The rest of the ingredients are pantry oils, flavours, herbs etc. that you probably already have.

For the eggplant sauce:

Olive oil: This recipe starts with a relatively big amount of oil. Because it really adds to the flavour of the sauce, I recommend using a good quality extra virgin olive oil.

Eggplant (UK = aubergine): You need 2 whole eggplant/aubergine for the lasagna sauce. Slice it into roughly 1 to 2 cm cubes before you start cooking.

Garlic: This lasagna tastes gloriously garlic-y! Crush 5 whole cloves (I go for big ones!) for the sauce.

Chili flakes: A quarter teaspoon or a large pinch of chili flakes is optional, but I think it really adds something to this dish.

Cans of chopped tomatoes: I often go for whole tomatoes and snip them inside the can with scissors before pouring them into the dish! I hear that whole tomatoes are often better quality than chopped.

Sugar: A heaped teaspoon balances out the tartness of the tomatoes. Replace with a big squirt of honey if you prefer.

Balsamic vinegar: I always add this to my homemade tomato sauces. It’s delicious. Just trust me.

Fresh basil: Either use a whole bunch of fresh basil, or a tablespoon of Italian dried herbs of your choice.

For the ricotta ‘sauce’:

Ricotta cheese: Ricotta forms the basis of the ‘sauce’ in this lasagna. No need to cook anything.

An egg: Mixing an egg into the ricotta turns it into a spreadable consistency and will help it to ‘set’ into a delicious layer in the oven.

Parmesan: You’ll need a whole cup of grated parm plus extra for sprinkling over the top of the ‘sauce’.

Black pepper: A good grinding of pepper finishes off the ricotta layer. I don’t add salt as it’s already seasoned by the parmesan cheese.

And of course the lasagna!

Lasagna sheets: You can either use fresh lasagna sheets or dried. There are only 2 layers of pasta, so you won’t need too many sheets – somewhere between 5 and 8, depending on their size.

How to make it

First make the sauce

See how easy it is?

Photos 1 and 2: Saute cubes of eggplant in lots of good quality olive oil. After around 10 minutes it will be mostly soft and cooked.

Photos 3 and 4: Add the rest of the sauce ingredients, stir well and let simmer for around 15 minutes. After this step the eggplant will be completely tender.

Photos 5 to 8 above show how to layer up the lasagna:

Photo 5: Start with a small amount of sauce so that the lasagna sheets don’t stick.

Photo 6: Cover with the first layer of lasagna. If the sheets are too big, just snap them to make them the right size. The coverage doesn’t have to be perfect!

Photo 7: Cover the first layer of lasagna sheets with another (thicker this time!) layer of eggplant sauce.

Top this layer of sauce with half of the ricotta mixture. Sprinkle with a little more parmesan if you like.

Photo 8: Add another thin layer of eggplant sauce. You’ll probably still have plenty of sauce left over. This is fine. I’ll give you some ideas about what to use it for later on.

Cover with the second layer of pasta sheets.

Spread the rest of the ricotta mixture over the top. Sprinkle with more parmesan cheese.

All that’s left to do is bake the lasagna for around 30 minutes or until golden and bubbling. Sometimes I like to put it under the grill/broiler just before serving to brown the top slightly more. A couple of minutes should be all you need.

How to serve it

This vegetarian lasagna with eggplant makes a great meal served by itself with some 2-minute toasted bread with olive oil and salt and perhaps a simple green salad.

If you have an air fryer, try air fryer garlic bread (or just cook it in the oven).

It’s fantastic for vegetarians or meatless Mondays. However… it’s also perfect with some simple meatballs on the side. My vote goes to these easy Greek meatballs which you can make in your air fryer or oven. They reheat well so you can even make them ahead.

In fact it goes well with any kind of protein including steak, roast chicken or fish. Got guests coming over? Serve the lasagna as a fancy side!

What to do with the leftover eggplant sauce

• What was that about 2-meals-in-1? Well, I find there’s often quite a lot of sauce left over after assembling the lasagna.

• If you have quite a lot left, you could use it to make an extra smaller lasagna for the freezer.

• Use it to make a simple pasta alla norma. Just stir the spare sauce through any kind of cooked pasta. Add a little of the pasta water to the dish to loosen up the sauce, then sprinkle with plenty of parmesan or feta cheese before serving.

• Stir through boiled or pan-fried (my favourite) gnocchi. Add a sprinkle of feta cheese. Delicious!

• Use it as a pizza sauce for homemade pizza.