2 - 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided*
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small eggplant (about 1 lb.), stemmed and chopped into ½" chunks
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
28 ounces whole tomatoes in their juice
2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper, to taste
For the lasagna:
(1) batch eggplant ragu
Half a package of lasagna noodles (6.5 ounces), cooked according to package instructions
½ c ricotta cheese
8 ounces smokes mozzarella, thinly sliced or grated
Instructions
Prepare the ragu:
Preheat the broiler. Cut the peppers around the core vertically and remove the white membrane, if any. Place the peppers cut side down on a foil lined rimmed baking sheet. Broil until the skins are blackened, about 5 - 10 minutes. Place in a bowl and cover with the foil to steam. Once cooled, remove the skins and roughly chop. Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Spray an 8x8” square baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium heat in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add the onion and sauté until softened and translucent, about 8 minutes. Add another tablespoon of olive oil, the garlic, eggplant, basil, and oregano and sauté for about 30 seconds. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the eggplant has oftened, about 10 – 15 minutes, adding 1 – 2 more tablespoons of olive oil if the pan becomes dry. Add the bell peppers and tomatoes in their juice, breaking up the tomatoes with a wooden spoon. Simmer covered, stirring occasionally, until the eggplant is very tender and the sauce is thick, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and add the balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper, to taste.
Assemble the lasagna:
Place just enough sauce on the bottom of the prepared baking dish to cover. Place a layer of lasagna noodles over the sauce, and spread half of the ricotta cheese over the noodles. Cover the noodles with ⅓ of the remaining sauce and top with ⅓ of the smoked mozzarella cheese. Repeat with the second layer. For the final layer, top the noodles with the sauce, and remaining smoked mozzarella. Bake on the middle rack covered with foil until heated through, about 40 – 45 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake an additional 10 – 15 minutes until bubbly. Remove from heat and let stand about 15 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Recipe by Hidden Fruits and Veggies at https://www.hiddenfruitsandveggies.com/2014/12/12/vegetarian-lasagna-with-eggplant-ragu-guest-post-from-flavor-the-moments/