Meatless Eggplant Lasagna

Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 75 min
Servings: 9
Yield: 9 servings

Description

This vegetarian meatless eggplant lasagna recipe features eggplant, panko bread crumbs, jarred marinara sauce, ricotta, basil, and three types of cheese.

Ingredients

cooking spray
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon water
2 cups panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
2 eggplants, peeled and sliced into 1/2-inch rounds
1 (16 ounce) container ricotta cheese
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 (24 ounce) jar marinara sauce
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
8 ounces thinly sliced mozzarella cheese
3/4 cup finely grated Fontina cheese

Directions

1 Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Coat 2 baking sheets and a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
2 Whisk 2 eggs and water together in a shallow dish. Combine panko and 1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese in a separate shallow dish. Dip eggplant slices into egg mixture, letting excess drip off. Gently press into panko mixture to adhere and coat both sides, shaking off excess. Place on the prepared baking sheets.
3 Bake in the preheated oven until golden, about 30 minutes, flipping eggplant and rotating baking sheets after 15 minutes.
4 Meanwhile, combine ricotta cheese, basil, 1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, 1 egg, garlic, pepper flakes, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a bowl.
5 Spoon 1/2 cup marinara sauce into the prepared baking dish. Layer 1/2 eggplant slices over sauce; sprinkle with 1/8 teaspoon salt. Top with 3/4 cup marinara sauce. Spread 1/2 ricotta mixture on top; add 1/2 bell peppers and top with 1/3 mozzarella cheese and 1/4 Fontina cheese. Repeat layers, ending with 1 cup marinara sauce. Cover dish tightly with aluminum foil coated with cooking spray.
6 Bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes.
7 Remove aluminum foil; top with remaining 1/3 mozzarella cheese and 1/2 Fontina cheese. Continue baking until sauce is bubbly and cheese melts, about 10 minutes more. Cool before serving, 10 minutes.