Eggplant Parmesan Lasagna

By Lady Butterfly

If you like a classic eggplant parm, then you'll absolutely love our eggplant parmesan lasagna with ricotta, marinara, mozzarella, Parmesan, and fresh basil!

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for the baking sheet and foil
• 1 large egg
• 2 egg whites
• 1 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 medium eggplants
• 16 ounces lowfat small-curd cottage cheese
• 15 ounces part-skim ricotta
• 6 ounces part-skim mozzarella, grated, about 1 1/2 cups
• 1/2 cup grated Romano or Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons grated Romano or Parmesan cheese
• Black pepper, to taste
• 1 cup fresh basil, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
• 2.50 cups jarred marinara sauce

Preparation

Step 1

Heat oven to 450°F. Lightly oil two large rimmed baking sheets. Beat the egg and egg whites together in a shallow bowl. Place the breadcrumbs and flour in separate shallow bowls. Add 1 tablespoon oil to the bread crumbs and mix to combine.

Slice the eggplants into 1/2-inch-thick rounds. Dip the eggplant rounds in the flour, then the eggs (letting any excess drip off), and finally in the bread crumb mixture, pressing gently to help them adhere; transfer to the prepared baking sheets. Roast until the eggplant is golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 400°F.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the cottage cheese, ricotta, 1 cup mozzarella, 1/2 cup Romano, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Fold in the basil and parsley.

Spread 1/2 cup marinara on the bottom of a 9- x 13-inch baking dish. Top with a layer of eggplant (8 to 12 slices) and 1/2 cup marinara, and dollop with a third of the ricotta mixture (about 1 1/2 cups). Repeat eggplant, marinara, and ricotta layers twice. Top with the remaining 1/2 cup marinara. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella and 2 tablespoons Romano.

Cover the dish tightly with an oiled piece of foil and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake until the top is light golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes more. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.