Let me tell y’all an interesting story behind this accidental yet magnificent creation! So last week, my father randomly requested Eggplant Parmesan, which is quite unusual because he is more of a Hyderabadi “Bhindi gosht ka katha salan”-type (Okra and Meat in a Tamarind gravy). But I was like of course, if that’s what he is craving, then I shall more than gladly make it for him. And I dragged my brother Akbar to Wegmans so we can get the ingredients and what do you know? They were all out of fresh basil. A huge disappointment. I insisted on checking and rechecking the entire produce section hoping that just maybe I could find a few leaves of basil hidden somewhere, but alas, nope, there was none.
I gathered the remaining ingredients (I was probably a bit teary-eyed too at this point, no exaggeration). As I gazed upon the neatly stacked shelves, strolling the aisles looking for a substitute for basil, I miraculously came across a jar of Basil Pesto (and it was the exact one I previously used for my Tomato Basil Panini recipe). And needless to say I was on cloud nine. I wasn’t certain how I would use this glistening jar of pesto but I knew this special find would undoubtedly enhance the flavor profile in my eggplant parmesan lasagna recipe.
I added lots of freshly grated parmesan cheese in my ricotta mixture and in the garlic breadcrumbs used to coat the sliced eggplants. I then layered dabs of basil pesto in between lasagna sheets soaked in a garlicky marinara sauce sweetened with a drizzle of honey, and of course topped with shredded mozzarella and baked to cheesy, gooey perfection! So delicious!
Eggplant Parmesan + Pesto Lasagna
Ingredients
- 4 medium Italian eggplants *sliced lengthwise
- 1 lb lasagna sheets
- 4 oz basil pesto *store-bought, jarred
For Sauce
- 44 oz marina sauce *good quality
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion *thinly sliced
- 2 tsp minced garlic
- ½ cup vegetable stock
- 1 chicken bouillon cube
- 1 tsp oregano *dried
- ½ tsp basil leaves *dried
- 1½ tsp honey
For Ricotta mixture
- 1½ lbs ricotta cheese *good quality
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese *good quality, freshly grated
- 6 oz mozzarella *whole milk, shredded
- 2 tsp Italian herbs *lightly dried, Gourmet Garden brand
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 egg
For Breadcrumbs mixture
- 2 cups breadcrumbs *I used garlic breadcrumbs, store-bought
- ¾ cup Parmesan cheese *good quality, grated
- 1 tsp Italian herbs *lightly dried
- ½ tsp Pink Himalayan salt *or Kosher salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
Other Ingredients
- eggs *as needed, whisked, for coating eggplants
- all purpose flour *as needed for coating eggplants
- extra shredded mozzarella cheese *as needed, for topping
- olive oil *as needed, drizzled on top before baking
- Canola oil *as needed, for shallow frying eggplants
Instructions
For Sauce
- Heat olive oil in a large saucepan on medium high. Add sliced onions and sauté for 10 minutes until softened and slightly caramelized, mixing as needed. Turn heat to medium, add minced garlic, mix well and continue to sauté for 5-7 minutes. Add vegetable stock, bring to a boil, add chicken bouillon cube, oregano and basil, mix well and continue to cook for 5-7 minutes on medium low heat. Turn heat to medium high, add marinara sauce, mix well and bring to a boil. Turn heat to low, partially cover and simmer for 35-40 minutes. When sauce is almost done simmering, add honey, mix and turn heat off.
For Eggplants
- Rinse and pat dry eggplants. Slice eggplants lengthwise. Sprinkle with Kosher salt and set aside for 30-45 minutes to remove excess water/bitterness from eggplants.
- Gather three dishes for coating eggplants. Whisk eggs in one, place all purpose flour in second and breadcrumbs mixture in third. *Note: for breadcrumbs mixture add garlic breadcrumbs, grated Parmesan cheese, Italian herbs, black pepper and Pink Himalayan salt.
- First dredge each sliced eggplant in flour, then place in whisked eggs to coat both sides, remove excess and then dredge in breadcrumbs mixture. Repeat with all eggplants, placing them on a baking sheet.
For Shallow Frying Eggplants
- Heat Canola oil in a large skillet on medium high heat. Turn heat to medium and shallow fry about 5-6 coated eggplants at a time, in batches, about 2-3 minutes on each side, until golden brown. Remove fried eggplants onto a sheet lined with paper towels or a brown paper bag to remove all excess oil. Set fried eggplants aside.
For Lasagna
- Cook lasagna sheets per package instructions, or to your desired texture (al dente, or a bit softer, keeping in mind that sheets will be layered and baked as well).
For Ricotta mixture
- In a large mixing bowl, add ricotta, parmesan and mozarella cheeses, gently mix to combine. Add egg, Italian herbs and black pepper, mix to combine. Place ricotta mixture in a sieve with a large bowl underneath to allow removal of excess moisture for at least 15-20 minutes. Set aside.
For Final Assembly
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- In a large, deep baking dish, ladle some sauce and spread (about 1 cup). Place lasagna sheets, top with ricotta mixture, place dabs of basil pesto on top, slightly spreading pesto with spatula, layer with fried eggplants, place sauce on top and repeat layers (about three layers, with lasagna sheet layer being the final layer). Top final lasagna sheet layer with remaining fried eggplants, sauce, shredded mozzarella, sprinkle with Italian herbs, drizzle with olive oil (1-2 tsp), cover and seal with aluminum foil and bake for 1 hour. After 1 hour of baking, uncover and bake for a final 5-7 minutes.
- Bubbly, cheesy and mouthwateringly delicious Eggplant Parmesan + Pesto Lasagna is ready to serve. Some baked garlic bread on the side and this will become your new favorite comfort food craving. Enjoy! Nosh Farma'aiye.