This low carb eggplant lasagna is the best comfort food ever. Layers of eggplant, meat sauce, and cheese are baked until warm and bubbly. Just add salad!
Who doesn’t love a rich, hearty lasagna? Visions of family gathered around a huge table, ready to dig into a traditional Italian favorite? But, all the carbs, right? Did you know you can make a low carb eggplant lasagna? All the flavor without all the guilt?
This easy eggplant lasagna will satisfy the heartiest of eaters while accommodating the more low carb crowd. A vegetarian eggplant lasagna isn’t always a bad thing! This one has plenty of cheese and a tangy, rich, tomato-y meat sauce. No one will ever know that’s it’s not only healthy, but satisfying!
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Eggplant Lasagna
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How to Make Eggplant Lasagna
Eggplant has a mild flavor with a spongy texture, so it is a perfect alternative to the traditional noodles found in traditional lasagna. This eggplant lasagna recipe packs all the flavor and presentation without the carbs!
The key here is to slice the eggplant no wider than a ¼ of an inch thick. Any thinner could produce a flat, compressed lasagna, and anything thicker won’t be similar to the standard egg noodle texture. Whether or not to peel the eggplant is a personal choice, it simply doesn’t matter, be sure to brush them lightly with olive oil or spray them with olive oil spray and sprinkle some salt on them.
Salting the eggplant layers removes the moisture, making them firm. Roast lightly in the oven until they are pliable, just like lasagna noodles would be! Adjust the roasting time based on the thickness of the eggplant slices.
How to Layer Lasagna
Just use your eggplant slices the same way you would regular lasagna sheets. Always coat the bottom of a casserole dish with meat sauce, then the first layer of eggplant. Layer the ricotta spread, add shredded cheese.
Keep layering until the pan is full and then top with a final layer of parmesan! It’s really that easy! This eggplant lasagna is an easy, fun recipe for kids to try when they are first learning to cook because it just can’t be messed up!
How to Reheat Lasagna
Eggplant Lasagna is one of the easiest casserole dishes to freeze and reheat! Be sure your eggplant lasagna is fully thawed before you pop it in the oven! To be safe, use a thermometer to an internal temperature of 165°F to be sure it is fully heated through. Serve with a simple salad, roasted radishes, and a glass of vino!
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Low Carb Eggplant Lasagna
Ingredients
Sauce
- 24 oz Rao's Pasta Sauce
- 1 1/2 lbs ground beef
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Eggplant Noodles
- 2 large eggplants
- olive oil spray
- salt
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
Cheese Mixture
- 10 oz ricotta cheese
- 1 cup cottage cheese
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 1/2 cup cooked spinach squeezed dry
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Slice eggplant into 1/4" slices. Generously cover with salt and let sit in a strainer about 30 minutes. Rinse well and dab dry. Spray with olive oil spray.
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Place eggplant slices on a parchment lined pan (2 pans) and bake 30 minutes, flipping after 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350°F for the lasagna.
- Meanwhile, brown ground beef with Italian seasoning in a pan. Drain any fat. Add 2 cups tomato sauce and 1 cup water. Simmer 15 minutes or until thickened.
- Combine all cheese mixture ingredients except mozzarella cheese in a separate bowl.
- Place 1/2 cup tomato sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Place 1/3 of the eggplant slices over the tomato sauce. Layer 1/2 cheese mixture, 1/2 meat mixture.
- Repeat with 1/3 eggplant, remaining cheese mixture, remaining meat mixture and finally remaining eggplant. Cover with mozzarella cheese.
- Bake covered for 30 minutes, remove foil and bake covered and additional 15 minutes or until browned and bubbly. Cool 15 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
REPIN this Tasty Lasagna Recipe
We tweaked this recipe because the directions made absolutely no sense. But it came out delicious and I will make it again as we tweaked it. We did use hot Italian sausage instead of ground beef.
Hi Sharon, so glad you loved it and thank you for your feedback. We have updated the recipe.
I want to make this for a dinner party. Can I prepare it earlier in the day and bake it when my guests arrive?
I have only baked it immediately, but if you try making it in advance it should work just fine. Let me know how it turns out!
Why do u have to roast the eggplant first….Why not prep it & bake it altogether?
Roasting lightly in the oven makes the eggplant pliable, just like lasagna noodles would be when you put a lasagna together. Enjoy Sherri!
Do I have to leave the skin on the eggplant? Not a big fan of the skin as it’s usually chewy.
Whether or not to peel the eggplant is a personal choice, it simply doesn’t matter. Enjoy Kelly!
I always seem to struggle with drying our eggplant slices. I found frozen sliced eggplant “cutlets” at my local Aldi’s and tried the recipe with those instead of fresh slices. It’s in the oven now and I can’t wait to try it when it’s ready!
Great tip Jessica! Thank you for sharing. Enjoy!
This was delish!! Question on the recipe, do I spray the eggplant with the oil before baking? I didn’t and it was fine. I just was curious as it is listed in the ingredients but not in the instructions.
Thanks
Yes, Sue, the eggplant is sprayed with the olive oil spray. So happy you loved the lasagna! Updated, thank you!
I forgot to spray it and all my slices stuck to the parchment.
Oh no, that is the worst Haley. So sorry that happened to you.
Amaaaaazing recipe! I layered with fresh spinach and sliced zucchini throughout as well and turned out great! Actually sliced like regular lasagna and didn’t fall apart.
So happy to hear that you love this eggplant lasagna Robbie!
This looked great. I always floured and fried eggplant in the past when using as lasagna noodles. Can this be frozen and baked later? Of course I would have to adjust baking time.
Be sure your eggplant lasagna is fully thawed before you pop it in the oven. Use a thermometer to an internal temperature of 165°F to be sure it is heated through. Enjoy!
This was absolutely fabulous! Didn’t miss the noodles at all! And my picky 14 year old loved it as well. I forgot to get cottage cheese so used a bit more ricotta then it called for and added moz and parm to that mixture.
Glad to hear your family enjoyed it Melissa!
When freezing this recipe, do you cook it first, then freeze? I wasn’t sure. Thank you for your time and the recipe.
Hi Beverlee, I would cook it, let it fully cool and put in an airtight container before freezing! If you try freezing it, let us know how it turns out!
Some how I’m completely missing the directions for the spinach
No worries Julia, we’ve got you covered! In step 4 combine all ingredients in the cheese mixture including spinach!
If I want to freeze this dish for later, do I cook first or freeze uncooked? Can’t wait to make this!
I would cook it, let it fully cool and put in an airtight container before freezing! If you try freezing it, let us know how it turns out Karen!
Wondering why you would add water to meat and sauce and then thicken? Wouldn’t it make it easier to just add the meat and sauce and skip water?
Hi Deanna, we add the extra water to allow the flavors to simmer and combine without getting too thick or potentially burning.
Making this tonight! CAN’T WAIT! It’s definitely a 9×9 pan though right? Because the picture looks bigger than a 9×9. I’m worrying myself too much haha
You are so right Rachael! The photos definitely look bigger than a 9×9! Hope you enjoyed the lasagna, the recipe has be updated to reflect the correct size!
I couldn’t see in the recipe where to add the eggs.
Hi Kathy! It is added into the cheese mixture in step 4. Enjoy!
Made this evening; used goat cheese instead of ricotta, forgot to buy and it was delicious!
That would be delicious Hugo! Thanks for sharing!