By: Wheeler Cowperthwaite

Once in a while a recipe comes along where I am truly blown over by something totally unexpected.

For me, that came this past Thanksgiving, as a vegetarian friend brought an eggplant lasagna to supplement the normal meat mains.

Lasagna is one of those dishes that usually, for me, exists in the background. It’s nice to have a couple of times a year, it makes great leftovers, but that’s where the infatuation ends.

When I tried my friend’s eggplant lasagna, I was absolutely blown away by the flavors, which were better than all but one or two meat-based lasagnas I’ve ever had ¬— if not better than all of them. It was a hands-down winner over ground beef and probably even better than those made with sausage.

At the same time, I was so excited for the dish because lasagna is one of those things that is incredibly versatile. It freezes well, it’s great as leftovers and it’s perfect for groups.

If your friend just had a baby, a co-worker’s parent just died or someone is going through a medical situation, lasagna is the perfect way to be a good friend. Make them a lasagna and take that meal prep and planning weight off their shoulders. They may not be able to thank you now, or even appreciate it, but thanks and appreciation aren’t why you should do good.

So, what makes this lasagna so good? First up is the eggplant.

The recipe this is based on, by Jeanine Donofrio, has been lightly edited through trial and error.

Some of the changes include skipping the addition of egg into the ricotta, adding sautéed zucchini and onions between the lasagna layers and finally, choosing a marinara sauce.

“I’ve made it with homemade marinara and store marinara,” my friend Maegan reported when I asked for the recipe. “But the last one used the 365 brand arabiata sauce and it made it better.”

365 is the house brand for Whole Foods and arabiata sauce is a little bit spicy and made with garlic, tomatoes, dried red chili peppers and olive oil.

She also notes that prepping the vegetables was made a lot easier with a mandolin, especially when it comes to getting the vegetables thin.

Perhaps the biggest change is the addition of noodles. In the original recipe, the eggplant replaces the noodles. Here, we still use the noodles.

Ingredients

The veggies

2-3 large eggplants (4 pounds)

Sea salt

Extra virgin olive oil

1½ cups arabiata sauce

3 cups grated mozzarella cheese

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 onions, thinly sliced

1-2 zucchinis

Red pepper flakes

Basil leaves (garnish)

Cheesy filling

2 cups (16 ounces) whole milk ricotta cheese

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 grated garlic cloves

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 package lasagna noodles, prepared

1 teaspoon lemon zest

½ teaspoon sea salt

Ground pepper

Directions

Boil the lasagna noodles and set aside when done.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

Remove the stems from the eggplants and slice vertically into ¼ inch planks.

Line three baking sheets with parchment paper.

Put the eggplant planks on a clean towel and sprinkle with the salt. Let sit for 20 minutes to allow the salt to bring out the water.

Pat the eggplant planks dry and move to the baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, toss to coat and arrange the planks in one layer on the baking sheets. Roast for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Halfway through baking, flip the planks.

While the planks are roasting, make the cheese filling in a large bowl. Stir together the ricotta, Parmesan cheese (¼ cup), garlic, oregano, lemon zest, salt and pepper.

In a medium to large pan, sauté the onions slices and zucchini slices, until golden brown. Remove earlier from heat if desired.

In a 9”x13” baking pan, rub or brush olive oil on the bottom followed by a thin layer of the arabiata sauce.

Cover with a layer of roasted eggplant followed by sautéed onions and zucchini and then the noodles. Top the noodles with some of the ricotta mixture followed by the arabiata sauce and a little mozzarella.

Repeat this layering process with the sautéed veggies followed by the eggplant, the noodles, the ricotta mixture, the arabiata sauce and some mozzarella.

Repeat the layering for a third and final time, using the remaining ricotta and arabiata sauce. Top with the remaining mozzarella and the Parmesan cheese.

Bake for 35 minutes or until the cheese is brown and bubbling.

Allow it to rest for 30 minutes after being taken out of the oven. Garnish with sprinkles of red pepper flakes and a garnish of fresh basil. Serve.

Wheeler Cowperthwaite is a former cops/courts reporter for the Rio Grande SUN.