This naturally gluten free, low carb, keto-friendly eggplant lasagna does not skimp on flavor or decadence. It's so delicious that I was even asked to prepare it for a wedding. You can experiment with cheeses, add spinach, or other veggies, but the classic version is amazing on its own. Serve with a salad, greens, and side of pasta, or to keep the low-carb theme, try veggie noodles, or vegetti, as my spiralizer is called.
Ingredients:
2 large eggplants
12 oz fresh ricotta
8 oz mascarpone
1 egg
1 cup shredded parmesan
8 leaves fresh basil, cut into thin strips (or 1 t dried), reserve some for serving
Spices: dried oregano (1 t), salt (1 t) and black pepper (1/2 t)
2 cups shredded mozzarella
Olive oil
4 cups marinara sauce
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
After cutting ends, slice eggplant lengthwise in 1/4 to 1/2 thick slices
Lay eggplant on tea towels, sprinkle with salt, sit for 20 min and press to remove some of the moisture
Transfer eggplant to cookie sheets in a single layer, drizzle with olive oil and salt and pepper
Bake eggplant for 15 minutes until soft, remove from oven and then preheat oven to 400 degrees
In a bowl, mix ricotta, mascarpone, egg and parmesan with basil, oregano, salt and pepper
Prepare a large, 13x9 baking dish and coat lightly with olive oil
Spread a 1 cup of marinara sauce on bottom and sides of pan
Assemble eggplant by covering one layer of pan with eggplant, then spread 1/2 of the cheese mixture, repeat layers, ending with eggplant on top (three layers of eggplants and two layers of cheese mixture). Top with marinara, spreading to cover evenly.
Sprinkle mozzarella oven eggplant evenly.
Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove foil and bake until cheese begins to brown.
Let sit 5-10 minutes, cut carefully and serve
Yum!