I first made this recipe for my friend’s parents while I was traveling this past fall.

I was staying at her place, but she was at a wedding one night, which left me and her parents at their place for dinner. I wanted to make them something special and this is what was created from what they had on hand.

This eggplant lasagna feels special, but is actually really easy and only requires three ingredients: eggplant, ground beef, and a jar of your favourite marinara sauce (of course, you could make your own marinara, but I absolutely love this organic marinara from Costco and use it every time!)

I personally enjoy serving this lasagna along side some greens and roasted mini potatoes, but homemade garlic bread is also a great option!

Eggplant Lasagna

Ingredients

2 medium-large eggplant

2.5 – 3 lbs. ground beef (preferably grass fed)

1 jar of your favourite marinara (at least 700 ml)

Sea salt

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F
  2. While the oven is heating, begin to prepare the eggplant by peeling them with a potato peeler. This step is optional, however, it does add a nice touch to the lasagna when the eggplant are peeled.
  3. Once the eggplant are peeled, slice the eggplant no thicker than a 1/4 inch.
  4. Next, lie the eggplant slices on a greased baking sheet and bake in the oven for about 10 minutes or until tender.
  5. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.
  6. Meanwhile, begin frying the ground beef in a large frying pan. Season with sea salt.
  7. Once the beef is cooked, pour the marinara in the pan. Use enough marinara to coat the ground beef well, but you don’t want it too saucy or the lasagna won’t hold up well.
  8. When the beef in done and the eggplant slices have cooled, you can begin layering the lasagna.
  9. In a 9×13 baking dish, begin by making a base layer using the eggplant slices. Make a single layer of eggplant, covering the bottom of the pan as best as possible.
  10. Next, make a second layer using 1/2 of the ground beef.
  11. Then, make another layer of eggplant just like the first.
  12. Finally, finish with a second layer of ground beef using the remaining 1/2 of the ground beef mixture.
  13. You have the option of covering the lasagna with shredded cheese, but I don’t think it’s necessary – it is so good without cheese!
  14. Finish the lasagna off in the oven by baking it for 30 minutes. Then, remove from oven, slice, and serve!