Roasted Eggplant, Mushroom & Spinach Lasagna

Printable Recipe


Hands on time: 30 minutes
Baking time: 45-60 minutes (until bubbly around the edges)
Resting time: 10-15 minutes

Serves 8 (ingredients are for 14”x7” oven-proof deep dish pan)

Ingredients:3/4-1 box multigrain lasagna noodles (enough sheets to cover the pan for three layers)
2-3 cups tomato sauce ( I use my Lazybones Marinara Sauce)  
2 cups (400 grams/14 oz) ricotta or cottage cheese
1 pkg Boursin cheese (I prefer the garlic & herbs)
170g/6oz goat cheese with garlic & cayenne
1 cup coarsely grated mozzarella cheese
1 large or two small eggplants, thinly sliced (1/4 " )
olive oil for drizzling over eggplants & sauteing mushrooms
225g/8oz cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
145g/5oz baby spinach
Directions:
1. Boil the pasta until al dente (about 8-10 minutes) in lots of salted water. You want the pasta to be undercooked.  It will continue to cook in the oven.  Another option is to use ready to cook lasagna...just lay them in the pan and use a little more sauce.
Pepare the filling:
2. Preheat the oven to 400° F/200°C and line a rimmed baking sheet with foil.  Drizzle some olive oil over the bottom and place the thin slices of eggplant on top in a single layer.  Season with salt & pepper and drizzle with a little more olive oil.   Roast for 4-5 minutes and flip and roast until the eggplant is soft (probably another 2-3 minutes).  Do pay attention.  You don't want the eggplant to crisp up or worse... burn.   Once soft, remove to a cutting board and coarsely chop the cooked eggplant.


3.  Heat a heavy bottomed skillet over medium high heat and saute the mushrooms in a little olive oil until golden.  Set aside.


4.  When the pasta is mostly cooked.  Remove from the pot with tongs, drain and set aside.  Throw the spinach into the pasta water and allow it to wilt (2 minutes max).  Remove with a slotted spoon over a sieve and press to remove any excess water.  Combine with the mushrooms. 


5. In a small bowl, combine the goat & Boursin cheeses.  If you can't find either, use plain creamy goat cheese and season with 1 tsp dried herbs,  1-2 cloves garlic, finely minced, 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper.   Divide in half and leave one half as is, the other ad the shredded mozzarella for the topping.


Assemble lasagna in a 14”x8” ovenproof dish as follows:Thin layer of sauce
Layer of noodles to cover the pan side by side. Cut noodles to fit the remaining spaces.
Layer of sauce 
Layer of half the spinach & mushrooms, topped with half the chopped eggplant
Layer of ricotta or cottage cheese
Layer of noodles
Layer of sauceLayer of half the spinach & mushrooms, topped with half the chopped eggplant
Layer of 1/2 goat & Boursin mixture laid in dollops over the sauce
Layer of noodles
Layer of sauce
Layer of 1/2 goat, Boursin & mozzarella mixture laid in dollops over the sauce 

6. Bake, covered, for 45 minutes at 350° F/180°C or until bubbly.

7. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving.   It makes it easier to cut and looks less soupy. 

Tips & Variations 
Spread the ingredients evenly for each layer, right to the edge of the pan.

If you are going to make the Marinara sauce the same day, add about 45 minutes to the hands-on time.