The holidays are here! If you’re scrambling to decide what to make for lunch, we’ve got a super quick and easy option: Eggplant Lasagna. Let’s get to the recipe!
Ingredients for your Eggplant Lasagna:
- 1 jar (approx. 24 oz) of marinara sauce (or try our homemade marinara recipe for an even better taste);
- 4 medium eggplants;
- 14 oz (400g) mozzarella cheese, sliced or shredded;
- 14 oz (400g) deli ham;
- Fresh parsley or basil to taste;
- Salt to taste;
- Black pepper to taste;
- 1/2 onion, finely diced;
- Grated Parmesan cheese to taste.
How to prepare the Eggplant Lasagna:
- Slice the eggplants into thin, long or round strips;
- Soak the slices in a bowl of water with a squeeze of lemon juice for 30 minutes to remove any bitterness;
- While the eggplant soaks, prepare your sauce;
- Sauté the diced onion in olive oil until translucent;
- Add the marinara sauce and season with salt and black pepper;
- Once it starts to simmer, remove from heat;
- Drain the eggplants and lightly blanch them in a pot of boiling water for just a minute or two;
- Remove and place on paper towels or a clean kitchen towel to dry thoroughly;
- Now, it’s time to assemble the lasagna;
- In a baking dish, create a base layer of eggplant slices;
- Spread a layer of sauce, followed by a layer of mozzarella and a layer of ham;
- Repeat the layers until you reach the top of the dish or run out of ingredients;
- Save some mozzarella slices for the very top layer;
- Sprinkle with grated Parmesan and fresh basil or parsley;
- Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F (180°C) until the cheese is melted and golden brown;
- Your lasagna is ready to serve!
Suggestions:
You can swap the marinara for a white sauce (béchamel) or a rosé sauce, or make it heartier by adding cooked ground beef or shredded chicken.
A little history about eggplant:
Eggplant cultivation began in China and India over 1,500 years ago. It is believed to have originated in India, where it still exists in its wild form. It reached Europe via the Arabs on the Iberian Peninsula, who have long been great enthusiasts of the vegetable.
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