Eggplant Parm-sagna

So, parm-sagna probably isn't really a thing... but since this is sort of a combination of eggplant parmesan and eggplant lasagna, I decided I couldn't call it either.  Plus I like how it sounds. :)  This was actually inspired by a lasagna I got at a local restaurant.  It had eggplant, spinach, roasted red peppers, homemade lasagna noodles, tomato sauce, and cheese. My dish has almost all of that... just no pasta.

All in all, this took about an hour and a half to make.  Not bad considering a lot of that time was just spent in the oven so it didn't require constant tending. And it was delicious.  Jeremy isn't a huge fan of eggplant but he really enjoyed this dish.

I baked the eggplant after breading it so that I didn't add a lot of oil by frying.  This allowed me to prep the rest of the ingredients while the eggplant was baking.  Then it was just assembling things in the lasagna pan and allowing it to bake.

Next time, I'm going to try to make this without the breading.  I think it'll be just as tasty and it will make it a little easier and healthier.

Overall, this was a great vegetarian meal.  We didn't miss the meat at all.  But since I usually make chicken parmesan, Jeremy did (jokingly) ask me what was wrong with the chicken since it tasted funny... I told him it was a chicken that had been on an all eggplant diet.  I'm so funny! :)

I served this with a salad so that we had a nice healthy meal.  You could certainly add a side of pasta if you wanted it to go further.  We both ate dinner and we have about half of the dish left over for tomorrow.  (I had 2 piles of parm-sagna and Jeremy had 3.)  Delish!

First Layer of Eggplant

Topped with Spinach, Peppers, and Cheese

Ta-Dah!

Recipe:

1 24 oz. jar tomato basil pasta sauce 

8 oz. shredded Italian cheese blend (I used a reduced fat 4 cheese blend)

1 lb. eggplant, sliced into ¼” slices (I got 18 slices) 

1 ½ c. fresh spinach leaves, chopped 

6 roasted red bell peppers, sliced 

2 eggs, beaten 

2 c. bread crumbs

1 tsp. salt

½ tsp. pepper

½ tsp. garlic powder

1 tbs. parsley flakes

1. Lay the eggplant in a single layer on paper towels, sprinkle with salt.  Cover with paper towels and allow to sit for 1 hour to draw out some moisture.

2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

3. Place breadcrumbs and egg in separate bowls.  Add pepper, garlic powder, and parsley flakes to the breadcrumbs and mix to combine.  Dip each piece of eggplant in egg, then coat in breadcrumbs.  Place on a baking sheet in a single layer.  Roast for 7 minutes, flip the slices, then roast for 7 more minutes until tender.

4. Reduce oven to 350 degrees.

5. In a large lasagna pan (mine is 9"x13"), place ½ c. of the pasta sauce and spread to cover the bottom.  Place half the eggplant in a single layer on the bottom.  Top with the spinach, roasted red pepper, and half the cheese.

6. Top each pile with a slice of eggplant, then the remaining sauce, then the remaining cheese.

7. Bake for 30 minutes until everything is hot through and the cheese is melted and slightly brown on top.

8. Allow the eggplant to rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.