There is nothing better after a long day than a delicious homemade meal. Actually, there is something better: not having to make that delicious meal when you are worn out from work! This vegetarian lasagna makes two evenings worth of food and is fun to prepare on a lazy Sunday afternoon. Eat one that night, and pop the other in the freezer for a quick dinner down the road.
This is the perfect time of the year for lasagna, when farmers markets and backyard gardens are bursting with delicate eggplant, ripe, juicy tomatoes, and crisp zucchini. In fact, if you have a surplus of any of these, it is easy to prepare the individual ingredients and keep those in the freezer to assemble the lasagna at a later date. Just bread the zucchini and eggplant and store in freezer bags or storage containers. Fry them when you are ready to use. Serve this lasagna with your favorite salad and pasta, or forgo the pasta altogether--you won't miss it with all the layers of healthy veggies!
Vegetarian Eggplant Zucchini Lasagna
Assemble into 2 small-to-medium baking dishes for two servings, or one large baking casserole dish for single, large-family meal. Tip: If freezing, use a disposable aluminum pan so you are not waiting around to have access to a good baking dish that is stuck in the freezer!
Ingredients:
- 2 large eggplants
- 2 medium zucchinis
- 1 cup mozzarella, sliced or shredded
- 24 oz fresh tomato sauce
- sufficient oil for frying, at least 2 inches deep
Breading:
- 2 cups breadcrumbs
- 1 cup cornmeal
- 1 cup whole grain flour
- 1 Tbsp garlic powder
- 1 Tbsp oregano
- half cup grated Parmesan cheese (
- salt and pepper
- 4 eggs, beaten
Filling:
- 1- 32oz container Ricotta cheese
- 1 tsp nutmeg
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and heat frying oil over medium-high heat
- In the meantime, slice eggplant and zucchini thinly--1/4 to 1/2 inch circles.
- Beat eggs for dipping. In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients for breading
- Coat zucchini and eggplant slices with egg mixture and dredge in breadcrumbs
- Oil is ready when a pinch of flour sizzles when dropped. Fry slices until golden; drain on paper towels
- Combine Ricotta and nutmeg
- Coat bottoms of baking dishes with thin layer of tomato sauce and begin assembling lasagna. Alternate eggplant, zucchini, sauce, cheese, and repeat
- When all ingredients are used up, spread mozzarella as final top layer of each dish
- If freezing, cover dish tightly in several layers of plastic wrap. Secure in a plastic freezer bag. To serve, remove from freezer 24 hours in advance and store in refrigerator to thaw; proceed with directions below. For a quick no-thaw freezer-to-oven method, cover with aluminum foil before baking to avoid scorching the top and bake for approximately 1 hr
- For tonight's dinner, bake for 10-20 minutes or until cheese and sauce are bubbling.
Lauren Tamraz - Lauren Tamraz has considered herself a writer since elementary school, when she began penning sequels to her favorite stories in a spiral ...
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