My favorite lasagna: with eggplant and ricotta instead of béchamel, light but super creamy; it’s become my signature dish!
My favorite lasagna: with eggplant and ricotta instead of béchamel, light but super creamy; it’s become my signature dish!
Eggplant lasagna is a dish that captivates at first sight and first bite: rich, stringy, and fragrant, yet much lighter than the classic version with béchamel sauce. It’s the ideal choice when you want to bring something special to the table without weighing you down. Eggplant takes center stage, alternating with a delicate ricotta cream and a basil-infused tomato sauce, which adds freshness and recalls the typical flavors of Mediterranean cuisine.
This dish is perfect for a family Sunday, but also for a dinner with guests: beautiful to present, delicious to share, and convenient to prepare ahead of time, as it can be assembled even a few hours before cooking. Each layer strikes a balance between creaminess and lightness, making this eggplant lasagna a treat that exudes tradition and authenticity.
Eggplant lasagna without béchamel sauce: creamy, stringy, and perfect even the next day!
Times
Preparation: 20 minutes
Resting of the aubergines: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 50 minutes (20 + 30)
Total time: ~1 hour and 20 minutes
Portions
4 people
Calories
Approximately 370 kcal per serving (variable depending on the type of cheese used).
Ingredients
4 sheets of lasagna (precooked is best)
500 g of ricotta (even light)
2 large aubergines
2 eggs
300 g of tomato sauce
100 g of grated Emmental or Leerdammer cheese (or light Galbanino)
2 cloves of garlic, grated
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Extra virgin olive oil to taste
Fresh basil to taste
Chili pepper to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation
1. Prepare the aubergines
Trim them and cut them into long, thin slices.
Arrange them on a cutting board, sprinkle them with salt and leave them to drain for 10-15 minutes.
Dry them well with kitchen paper.
Arrange them on a baking tray lined with baking paper, drizzle with oil and bake at 200°C for about 20 minutes, until soft.
2. Prepare the sauce
Pour the tomato sauce into a bowl.
Add 1 grated clove of garlic, a drizzle of oil, salt, pepper and a pinch of chili pepper.
Add a few chopped basil leaves and mix well.
3. Prepare the ricotta cream
In a large bowl, mix the ricotta with the eggs, 1 grated garlic clove, the Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper.
Mix until you obtain a smooth, velvety cream.
4. Assemble the lasagna
Spread a thin layer of ricotta cream in a baking dish.
Place a sheet of lasagna on top, then cover with more ricotta cream, a few slices of aubergine, 2-3 tablespoons of tomato sauce and a sprinkling of grated Emmental cheese.
Repeat the layers until you run out of ingredients.
5. Cooking
Bake the lasagna at 180°C for about 30 minutes, until golden and stringy.
Once cooked, let it settle for 5 minutes before cutting and serving.
The result: a rich, creamy, and fragrant lasagna, with aubergines that make every bite light yet irresistible.
