Eggplant Lasagna {Tasty Tuesday}

With my third baby on the way, I have drastically changed my diet, for the better! I am eating lots of veggies and fruits as well as protein rich foods and whole grains.

I have always loved lasagna. But decided that I should avoid the white pasta, even if it would have been for a single meal. I found an Eggplant Parmesan recipe and decided I would make two half pans of lasagna. One would be traditional, for the boys and the other would substitute parmesan baked eggplant from the eggplant parmesan recipe for noodles in mine.

It turned out so well that I decided to share the recipe! Being that I wasn't planning on blogging the recipe I didn't take any pictures of the process. Nor was the lighting right to take pics of the final product. But it was seriously delicious!

Ingredients:

2 eggplants

2 cups mozzarella cheese

1 container of ricotta cheese

1 jar of you favorite red pasta sauce

1 can of crushed tomatoes in puree

1 lb hamburger or other meat/meat substitute (optional)

1 cup Parmesan cheese

2 eggs

Italian seasoning to taste, sea salt and pepper

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Rub some butter on the bottom of a cookie sheet (you could use non-stick spray, but I prefer not to). You'll probably need two cookie sheets. 

2. Mix together parmesan cheese, Italian seasonings, salt and pepper and put on large plate. Beat eggs in shallow bowl.

3. Slice eggplant lengthwise in the thickness you prefer (1/4-1/2 inch), making long, wide 'noodles'. Dip both sides of the eggplant in the egg mixture then coat with the parmesan mixture. Lay flat on cookie sheet and put in oven for 20 minutes, flipping it over halfway through.

4. Brown hamburger or other meat of your choice, season with Italian seasoning, drain. Add pasta sauce, crushed tomatoes and more Italian seasoning. Heat through. (When eggplant is done cooking, reduce oven temp to 350).

5. Spoon some of the sauce mixture into the bottom of your lasagna pan, enough to coat the bottom. Add a layer of eggplant. Cover that with half of the ricotta and 1/3 of the mozzarella. Then add half of the remaining sauce mixture, another layer of eggplant, the rest of the ricotta, some mozzarella and the rest of the sauce. Put the remaining 1/3 of the mozzarella on the top. Cover and bake for 20-30 minutes, until nice and bubbly! 

You get a very strong flavor from the parmesan. If you aren't that in love with parmesan you could probably try half parmesan half whole wheat bread crumbs on your eggplant noodles.

Have you made a change in your diet recently? Is the rest of your family on board with those changes or do you find yourself making meals differently for yourself and for the rest of the family?