Roasted Eggplant Lasagna

I'm not even one-sixteenth Italian. And this lasagna recipe hasn't been in my family for generations. In fact, I doubt my parents (or grandparents for that matter) would enjoy this dish for its lack of meat, noodles, etc. But we like it quite a bit. It's healthy and full of the nutrients needed to keep us going. Too bad she doesn't photograph well . . . or you'd see her delicious layers of roasted eggplant, gooey ricotta, tomatoes, and spinach.

Good news, though. You can see her for yourself! Why not Sunday night? It's a date.

What you'll need . . .

• 3 1-pound eggplants, peeled, cut into 1/4-inch thick pieces
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 pounds part-skim ricotta cheese
  
• 2 handfuls baby spinach
  
• 1/2 cup chopped shallots
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 to 2 containers sauce (we used Newman's Own Roasted Garlic and ended up using a bit of a 2nd container)
• 8 ounces shredded mozzarella
  

Method . . .

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Brush two baking sheets with olive oil.
2. Prepare your ingredients.
   
3. Transfer eggplant to prepared sheets. Toss with 2 tablespoons oil. Roast eggplant until tender, about 25 minutes, flipping once halfway through. Set aside.
   
4. Mix ricotta cheese, spinach, shallots and rosemary in a food processor. Pulse only until incorporated. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Oil 13 x 9 x 2-inch glass baking dish. Spread 1/2 cup tomato sauce in dish. Arrange 1/3 eggplant "noodles" in single layer in dish. Spread half of ricotta mixture over noodles. Spoon about 1 cup sauce over that. Now 1/3 of the mozzarella. Arrange another 1/3 of eggplant over that. Add another layer of the ricotta mixture. Spoon another 1 cup sauce over. Arrange another 1/3 of the mozzarella over the sauce. Repeat layering 1 more time. Spread remaining sauce over. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella. Cover tightly with lightly oiled foil.
   
6. (Can be prepared a day in advance; just be sure to chill properly.)
7. Bake until lasagna is heated through, about 45 minutes. Uncover; bake until cheese begins to brown and sauce is bubbling slightly at edges, another 15 minutes.
   
8. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
   

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