Best Eggplant And Portobello Lasagnas With Roasted Tomato Vinaigrette Recipes

LASAGNA WITH ROASTED EGGPLANT-RICOTTA FILLING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Place the cherry tomatoes on a large baking sheet along with the thyme, oregano and garlic. Dress with 2 tablespoons of the EVOO, season with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Roast until the tomatoes burst, 35 to 45 minutes
• Brush the eggplant with the remaining 2 tablespoons EVOO and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place cut-side down on a baking sheet and roast alongside the tomatoes until soft, 30 to 40 minutes.
• Let the tomatoes cool slightly, and then puree them with the basil in a food processor until smooth. Remove the skins from the garlic and puree the sauce with the roasted cloves before transferring the sauce to a bowl.
• When the eggplant has cooled, spoon out the flesh and add it into the cleaned bowl of the food processor along with the ricotta, Parmigiano-Reggiano, egg yolks and some salt and pepper. Puree the mixture until smooth and season with more salt and pepper.
• Ladle one-third of the tomato sauce into the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch casserole dish. Layer pasta sheets on top, followed by one-half of the eggplant, more pasta sheets, tomato sauce and 1/2 of the mozzarella. Repeat with another layer of pasta sheets, followed by the remaining eggplant, more pasta sheets and the remaining tomato sauce. Top the lasagna with the remaining mozzarella. Bake 1 hour. Let cool 20 minutes before serving.

LASAGNE ROLLS WITH ROASTED TOMATO AND EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Make sauce:
• Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 425°F. Oil a 13- by 9-inch or other 3-quart glass or ceramic baking dish and a large shallow baking pan.
• Toss together tomatoes, garlic, 3 tablespoons oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in baking dish, then arrange tomatoes, cut sides up, in 1 layer. Toss eggplant with remaining 3 tablespoons oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in baking pan.
• Roast tomatoes and eggplant, switching position of dish and pan halfway through baking, until tomato skins are wrinkled and beginning to brown and eggplant is golden brown and tender, 50 minutes to 1 hour. Cool vegetables slightly in dish and pan on racks. (Leave oven on.)
• When tomatoes and garlic are cool enough to handle, transfer to a cutting board (do not clean baking dish). Cut each tomato half lengthwise into 3 pieces and coarsely chop garlic. Transfer to a large bowl, then stir in eggplant and water.
• Make filling and pasta while vegetables for sauce are roasting:
• Stir together all filling ingredients until combined well.
• Cook pasta in a 6- to 8-quart pot of boiling salted water, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until tender. Drain in a colander and rinse under cold running water. Lay noodles flat on a clean kitchen towel and pat dry with paper towels, then cut in half crosswise (you will have 12 noodles).
• Assemble and bake lasagne:
• Move upper oven rack to middle position.
• Spread out half of vegetable mixture in uncleaned baking dish. Lay 4 noodles on a work surface, then spread 3 tablespoons filling evenly over each noodle. Roll up noodles tightly and put rolls, seam sides down and without touching, in vegetable mixture in dish. Make 8 more rolls with remaining noodles and filling in same manner, transferring to dish.
• Lightly brush rolls with water, then spoon remaining vegetables over rolls. Cover dish tightly with foil and bake until heated through, about 20 minutes.

EGGPLANT MATZO LASAGNA

Steps:

• For the tomato sauce: Heat the oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the onions and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring, until the onions are translucent and very soft, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic, oregano and red pepper and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, until the tomato paste deepens in color, about 4 minutes. Add the wine and cook, scraping the bottom of the pot, until the liquid mostly evaporates, about 3 minutes. Add the crushed and diced tomatoes, 2 teaspoons salt and several grinds of black pepper. Rinse out each tomato can with 1/2 cup of water and add it to the sauce. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until reduced by about one-fourth and thickened, about 1 hour.
• Blend the sauce with an immersion blender until smooth. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper and stir in the basil. Set aside (see Cook's Note).
• For the eggplant: Arrange the eggplant slices on a rack set over a baking sheet and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon salt. Set aside to draw moisture out from the eggplant, flipping them over halfway through, about 30 minutes.
• Combine the matzo meal, thyme, oregano, 1 teaspoon salt and several grinds of black pepper in a shallow bowl. Whisk the eggs, 1/2 teaspoon salt and several grinds of black pepper together in another shallow bowl.
• Blot the eggplant slices very dry on both sides with paper towels. Working one slice at a time, dip the eggplant into the egg mixture, allowing excess to drip back into the bowl, then dredge it in the matzo mixture, pressing gently to coat. Place coated slices back on the rack and repeat with the remaining eggplant.
• Pour enough oil into a large skillet to reach a depth of about 1/4 inch and heat over medium-high heat until very hot and shimmering and a slice of eggplant immediately sizzles as when it touches the oil. Working in batches, fry the slices until golden brown on both sides, about 4 minutes per side. Place cooked eggplant back on the rack to drain and season lightly with salt while hot. Repeat until all the eggplant is fried.
• For the ricotta filling: In a medium bowl, stir the ricotta, Parmesan, egg, basil, garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt and several grinds of black pepper together. Refrigerate until ready to assemble the lasagna.
• To assemble the lasagna: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Spray all sides of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan or casserole dish at least 2 1/2 inches deep with nonstick spray. Set aside 3/4 cup of the tomato sauce, 3/4 cup of the ricotta filling and 1 1/2 cups mozzarella.
• Spread 1 cup tomato sauce evenly over the bottom of the dish. Top the sauce with full sheets of matzo, then break others to fit as needed. Spread 3/4 cup ricotta filling evenly over the matzo with a small offset spatula. Layer one-third of the eggplant over the ricotta, top with one-third of the mozzarella and top with one-third of the remaining sauce. Repeat the layers of matzo, ricotta, eggplant, mozzarella and sauce two more times. Add a final layer of matzo, then spread with the reserved 3/4 cup ricotta, the reserved 3/4 cup sauce and sprinkle with the 1 1/2 cups reserved mozzarella and 3 tablespoons Parmesan.
• Spray a piece of foil large enough to fit over the baking dish generously with nonstick spray and cover the baking dish tightly. Place on a baking sheet and bake until the matzo is soft and the sauce is bubbling, about 45 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake until the mozzarella is lightly browned in spots, 15 to 20 minutes longer. Allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving.

LASAGNA WITH TOMATO SAUCE AND ROASTED EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and brush the foil lightly with olive oil. Slice the eggplant 1/3 inch thick, sprinkle with salt and toss with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Place on the baking sheet and roast 15 to 20 minutes, until the slices are lightly colored on the bottom and soft to the tip of a knife. Remove from the oven, and carefully fold the foil over and crimp the edges together (be careful not to burn yourself!). Let the eggplant cool and steam in the foil packet for 20 minutes. Set aside and turn the oven down to 350 degrees.
• Lightly oil a rectangular baking dish. Blend the ricotta cheese with the egg, water, cinnamon, and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside 1/2 cup of tomato sauce and 3 tablespoons of Parmesan to make sure you have enough for the top layer of the lasagna.
• Spread a small spoonful of tomato sauce in a thin layer over the bottom of the baking dish. Top with a layer of lasagna noodles. Top the noodles with a thin layer of ricotta. Spoon on a few dollops then spread it with an offset or a rubber spatula. Top the ricotta with half the eggplant, and sprinkle basil and half the mozzarella over the eggplant. Top with a layer of tomato sauce and a layer of Parmesan. Repeat the layers, then add a final layer of lasagna noodles topped with ricotta if any remains, and most importantly with the tomato sauce and Parmesan you set aside. Drizzle a little bit of olive oil over the top.
• Cover the baking dish tightly with foil and place in the oven. Bake 40 minutes, until the noodles are tender and the mixture is bubbling. Remove from the heat and allow to sit for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

PORTOBELLO MUSHROOM LASAGNA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil with 1 tablespoon salt and a splash of oil. Add the lasagna noodles and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain and set aside.
• For the white sauce, bring the milk to a simmer in a saucepan. Set aside. Melt 8 tablespoons (1 stick) of the butter in a large saucepan. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Pour the hot milk into the butter-flour mixture all at once. Add 1 tablespoon salt, the pepper, and nutmeg, and cook over medium-low heat, stirring first with the wooden spoon and then with a whisk, for 3 to 5 minutes, until thick. Set aside off the heat.
• Separate the mushroom stems from the caps and discard the stems. Slice the caps 1/4-inch thick. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large (12-inch) saute pan. When the butter melts, add half the mushrooms, sprinkle with salt, and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until the mushrooms are tender and they release some of their juices. If they become too dry, add a little more oil. Toss occasionally to make sure the mushrooms cook evenly. Repeat with the remaining mushrooms and set all the mushrooms aside.
• To assemble the lasagna, spread some of the sauce in the bottom of an 8 by 12 by 2-inch baking dish. Arrange a layer of noodles on top, then more sauce, then 1/3 of the mushrooms, and 1/4 cup grated Parmesan. Repeat 2 more times, layering noodles, sauce, mushrooms, and Parmesan. Top with a final layer of noodles and sauce, and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan.
• Bake the lasagna for 45 minutes, or until the top is browned the sauce is bubbly and hot. Allow to sit at room temperature for 15 minutes and serve hot.

EGGPLANT AND PORTOBELLO (LASAGNAS) WITH ROASTED TOMATO VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F. Arrange tomatoes and fennel in 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Drizzle oil over; toss to blend. Bake until fennel is tender and begins to brown, about 45 minutes. Cool.
• Spray 2 nonstick baking sheets with vegetable oil spray. Arrange eggplant and mushroom slices on prepared sheets. Bake until vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes for eggplant slices and 40 minutes for mushrooms. Puree tomato mixture in processor. Transfer to strainer set over bowl. Press on solids to extract liquid; discard solids. Stir vinegar into liquid. Season vinaigrette with salt and pepper.
• Stir spinach in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until wilted, about 1 minute. Remove from heat.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray four 1 1/4-cup custard dishes with vegetable oil spray. Line each dish with 2 eggplant slices in crisscross pattern. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top each with 1/4 of spinach. Top each with 1 mozzarella slice. Arrange pepper strips over, then basil and mushrooms. Top with remaining eggplant slices, cutting to fit. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover each dish with foil. (Vinaigrette and lasagnas can be made 1 day ahead. Cover separately; chill.)
• Bake lasagnas until very tender, about 25 minutes. Remove foil. Using small knife, cut around vegetables to loosen. Invert onto plates. Spoon vinaigrette over.