Veggies, cheese and seasonings combine for a gourmet version of a classic recipe.
This is a spin off from the New Basics cookbook.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 eggplant
- 1 teaspoon coarse (kosher) salt
- 8 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into julienne
- 1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into julienne
- 1 large onion, slivered
- 12 ounces fresh cultivated mushrooms, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup unbleached all-purpose flour
- 8 ounces lasagne noodles – we like Dreamfields low-carb
- 3 cups marinara sauce
- 1 tablespoon Ciao Down
- 1½ cups Bechamel or Alfredo sauce
- ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 5 ounces goat cheese
- ½ cup slivered fresh basil leaves
- 8 ounces mozzarella cheese, grated
DIRECTIONS
- Slice the eggplant into ¼-inch-thick rounds. Sprinkle them with the coarse salt, and let drain in a colander for 1 hour. Wipe off the salt and pat dry.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the bell peppers and onion, and sauté over medium-low heat until cooked through but not browned, 10 minutes.
- Using a slotted spoon, remove the peppers and onion from the skillet. Add another 1 tablespoon olive oil, and sauté the mushrooms until cooked, 5 minutes.
- Remove the mushrooms from the skillet, and add 3 more tablespoons olive oil. Dredge the eggplant with the flour, shaking off the excess, and sauté the slices on both sides, over medium heat, until lightly browned, adding more olive oil as needed. Transfer the cooked eggplant to paper towels.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Bring 4 quarts of salted water to a boil in a large pot. Add the lasagne, and cook at a rolling boil until just tender. Drain, rinse under cold water, and drain again.
- Spread a small amount of tomato sauce on the bottom of a 13 × 9 inchbaking dish. Arrange half the lasagne noodles over the sauce. Cover with the peppers, onion, mushrooms, and eggplant, in layers. Shake 1/2 the Ciao Down seasoning on the veggies evenly. Mix the béchamel and Parmesan together, and spoon half on top of the vegetables. Crumble the chèvre over the béchamel, and sprinkle with half the basil. Top with more tomato sauce, and then another layer of lasagne noodles. Spread the remaining béchamel over the lasagne, and sprinkle with the remaining basil. Top with the remaining tomato sauce. Sprinkle with the mozzarella.
- Cover the dish with aluminum foil, and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until brown and bubbly, another 15 minutes.