Roasted Eggplant Lasagna

ByEric Jones posted on Updated on
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If you want a meatless alternative and love the comfort of a classic lasagna, this Roasted Eggplant Lasagna is about to become your new favorite dinner. We’ve replaced the heavy pasta with roasted eggplant for a tender, savory foundation minus the carbs.

Here are a few more ideas for your Meatless Mondays: Creamy Rice and Mushroom Stuffed Bell Peppers, Roasted Garlic and Spinach Parmesan Pizza, Vegetable Stir Fry Noodles, and Nothing But Cheese Enchiladas

serving eggplant lasagna

The real magic, however, lies in the filling. Instead of traditional ricotta, we’ve created a velvety, herby blend of sour cream, cream cheese, herbs, and seasonings. This mixture melts beautifully into the marinara, creating a luscious, silk-like consistency that perfectly complements the melty mozzarella cheese.

It’s a vegetarian masterpiece that’s every bit as hearty and filling as the original—proving you don’t need meat (or noodles) to achieve ultimate comfort food status.

overhead shot of baked lasagna in a casserole dish

What Makes This Recipe Work:

  • The Eggplant Advantage: Roasting the eggplant first ensures it is fork-tender and prevents the lasagna from becoming watery.
  • The Ricotta Alternative: – The cream cheese and sour cream base provides a smooth, rich mouthfeel that appeals to even the pickiest eaters.
  • Pure Comfort: It’s a warm, bubbling dish of cheesy goodness that hits all the nostalgic notes of a Sunday night family dinner.

Ingredients you’ll need to make Roasted Eggplant Lasagna:

Be sure to check out the full recipe and ingredient list below

eggplant lasagna recipe ingredients
  • You’ll need 2 small Italian eggplants or 1 large Italian eggplant. These will be sliced, lightly breaded with all-purpose flour, eggs and milk mixture, and grated Parmesan cheese, then roasted for the perfect texture.
  • For the sauce layer, you’ll combine fire-roasted crushed tomatoes, grated Parmesan cheese, and dried basil leaves.
  • Instead of the traditional ricotta cheese, you blend sour cream, cream cheese, garlic paste, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, oregano, sea salt, and black pepper.
  • Two other important layers are the fresh mushrooms and shredded mozzarella cheese.

How to make Roasted Eggplant Lasagna:

Prepare the eggplant. Slice the eggplant into 1/2-inch slices, sprinkle salt on both sides, and place them on a baking sheet (paid link) or a large kitchen towel. Allow the moisture to “sweat” out for 30 minutes. Wipe away excess moisture by patting with a paper towel.

Coat and roast the eggplant. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, add the all-purpose flour. In a second bowl, combine 2 eggs and milk. Add the Parmesan cheese to a third large bowl. In a three-step process, coat with all-purpose flour, then add to the egg mixture, then to the Parmesan cheese. Place the eggplant on a baking sheet (paid link) and roast it for 10 minutes on each side. Set to the side when done.

breaded eggplant getting ready for the oven

Prepare the tomato sauce. While the eggplant is baking, add the crushed tomatoes, Parmesan cheese, garlic paste, and dried basil leaves to a bowl and mix well. Set to the side.

Prepare the cream cheese layer. In a small bowl, combine the cream cheese, sour cream, 1 egg, red pepper flakes, garlic powder, oregano, sea salt, and black pepper. Set to the side.

Assemble the layers. Add a light layer of the tomato sauce to the bottom of a 9×13 casserole dish (paid link). Top with a layer of roasted eggplant. Top the eggplant with a layer of the cream cheese mixture, then top with another layer of tomato sauce. Add a layer of mushrooms. Add half of the mozzarella cheese. Add another layer of eggplant over the cheese. Top with the remaining tomato sauce. Top with the remaining mozzarella cheese.

Bake the lasagna. Bake the dish for 30 minutes at 375 degrees. Allow to cool for 5 minutes. 

single serving of roasted eggplant lasagna

Tips & Tricks

  • “Sweating” your eggplant is an essential step in the process because the texture of eggplant can come off as “spongy”. Not only does the salt draw out any excess moisture, but it also reduces the eggplant’s bitterness. Sweat the eggplant, then roast it in the oven before layering it into the lasagna for the best results.
  • Two layers or three layers of eggplant for your lasagna? For a traditional lasagna, the number of lasagna layers that fit into a standard 9×13 casserole dish (paid link) can be as simple as four, or as complex as seven (with noodles accounting for 2 to 4 of those layers). For eggplant lasagna, since eggplant is thicker than lasagna noodles, I went with two layers of eggplant.
  • This eggplant lasagna will keep in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
a fork full of eggplant lasagna

Savory, tender roasted eggplant is a perfect substitute for lasagna. You won’t find any noodles in this low-carb eggplant lasagna, but trust me—you won’t miss them.

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single serving of roasted eggplant lasagna

Roasted Eggplant Lasagna

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  • Author: Eric Jones
  • Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
  • Yield: 6 1x
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Description

Roasted Eggplant Lasagna replaces the heavy pasta with roasted eggplant slices that provide a tender, savory foundation minus the carbs.

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1 large whole eggplant
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3 large organic eggs
  • 1/3 cup milk
  • 1 cup grated parmesan cheese, separated
  • 28 oz fire roasted crushed tomatoes (paid link)
  • 1 tsp dried basil leaves
  • 8 oz cream cheese
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • 1 tbsp garlic paste
  • 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp oregano
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 8 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced
  • 16 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded
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Instructions

  1. Slice the eggplant into 1/2-inch slices, sprinkle salt on both sides, and place them on a baking sheet (paid link) or a large kitchen towel. Allow the moisture to “sweat” out for 30 minutes. Wipe away excess moisture.

  2. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, add the all-purpose flour. In a second bowl, combine 2 eggs and milk. Add 3/4 cup of Parmesan cheese to a third large bowl. Coat with all-purpose flour, then add to the egg mixture, then to the Parmesan cheese. Place the eggplant on a baking sheet (paid link) and roast it for 10 minutes on each side. Set to the side when done.

  3. Add the crushed tomatoes, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, garlic paste, and dried basil leaves to a bowl and mix well. Set to the side.

  4. In a small bowl, combine the cream cheese, sour cream, 1 egg, red pepper flakes, garlic powder, oregano, sea salt, and black pepper. Set to the side.

  5. Add a light layer of the tomato sauce to the bottom of a 9×13 casserole dish (paid link). Top with a layer of roasted eggplant. Top the eggplant with a layer of the cream cheese mixture, then top with another layer of tomato sauce. Add a layer of mushrooms. Add half of the mozzarella cheese. Add another layer of eggplant over the cheese. Top with the remaining tomato sauce. Top with the remaining mozzarella cheese.

  6. Bake the dish for 30 minutes at 375 degrees. Allow to cool for 5 minutes. 

Equipment

(paid link)

  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 50 minutes
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Bake
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Calories: 1152
  • Sugar: 23.4g
  • Sodium: 2187mg
  • Fat: 25g
  • Carbohydrates: 66.1g
  • Fiber: 15.8g
  • Protein: 63.5g
  • Cholesterol: 223mg

I'm Eric --- a husband, father, Louisiana native, and lover of Tex-Mex and double-stacked burgers. On this site, you'll find Southern recipes I learned from my grandmothers using simple, approachable ingredients.

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