Our Eggplant Lasagna is layered with rich béchamel, pasta sheets, savory tomato meat ragù, and lots of parmesan cheese.

Rich, creamy, and deeply satisfying, this lasagna recipe tastes comforting and familiar with the extra sweetness of roasted eggplant.

If you love this eggplant lasagna, you will also love this pastitsio-pasta bake, Greek beef ragú pasta or moussaka-the Greek Eggplant Potato Casserole!

A plate in front of a baking pan, with a piece of eggplant lasagna and a fork, on a wooden table.

Why this recipe sings

This eggplant lasagna is a beautiful change to the more standard lasagna recipes.

Thin roasted eggplant slices are layered between classic lasagna ingredients creating a comforting, lovely dish.

For lasagna, I am loyal to the classic version with a rich meat ragu layered with pasta sheets, parmesan cheese, and béchamel sauce. The ragu is always our Greek ground beef meat sauce with juicy San Marzano tomatoes and seasonings.

Here is what you need

All the ingredients to make eggplant lasagna. Ingredients for béchamel are not shown.
  • Eggplants. Two large eggplants are enough. But keep an extra available in case you want to layer more slices.
  • Ground beef. My go-to is 85/100 ground beef. I prefer it to a very lean cut. You can also use a combination of ground beef and pork or ground sausage. For leaner lasagna, you can make it with ground turkey.
  • Tomatoes. Two cans of authentic San Marzano tomatoes are used to create a saucy ragu. I use my food processor to make a passata-tomato puree.
  • Lasagna pasta sheets. In this recipe, I am using no-boil lasagna. I have cooked this dish with fresh pasta sheets and boiled dry pasta sheets. The results were the same. Perhaps you want to make the ragu less saucy if you boil your pasta or use fresh, especially if you dislike extra sauce. It is not the case in our house; we crave extra sauce!
  • Onion, garlic, celery, and a carrot.
  • Parmesan cheese. To sprinkle all over the layers and the top.
  • Sea salt, freshly ground pepper, nutmeg, cloves, dried oregano, a bay leaf, and a cinnamon stick. All the seasonings of a greek meat sauce
  • Extra virgin olive oil.

For the béchamel sauce

Ingredients for making béchamel sauce for eggplant lasagna.
  • Butter. Good quality butter. You can use salted or unsalted since you check for seasoning at the end of the cooking.
  • All-purpose flour. Keep some extra in case you need to thicken the sauce.
  • Whole milk. As with the flour, keep a little extra around if you need to loosen the sauce.
  • Nutmeg, sea salt, and freshly ground pepper. The nutmeg is nutty and adds a touch of sweetness to the milk.

Detailed measurements and instructions can be found on the recipe card at the bottom of the page.

How to make this recipe

Make the meat ragù

A saucepan with ground beef, diced carrots and onions, a bay leaf and a cinnamon stick.
Place a large pot on the stove and turn the heat to medium. Put the olive oil, diced onion, and garlic in the pot, stir, and cook until fragrant, about one minute. Add the chopped celery and carrot. Cook for about 2 minutes, stirring vegetables to coat them well.

Add the ground beef, a large pinch of salt, and freshly ground pepper. Break the meat with a wooden spoon, stir well, and cook until the beef is browned all over.

Add the dried oregano, chopped fresh herbs, nutmeg, cloves, a bay leaf, and the cinnamon stick and stir.


A saucepan with tomato sauce, ground beef, diced carrots and onions, a bay leaf and a cinnamon stick.
Pour in the tomatoes and stir. When the sauce starts to bubble, turn the heat down and cook for 45 minutes to an hour, stirring occasionally. Add half a cup of water or broth whenever necessary, you need to keep this sauce liquidy.

Prepare the eggplant

Heat the oven to 375°F / 190°C.

A baking sheet lined with parchment paper and raw eggplant slices.
Cut the eggplants into thin slices about 1/8 of an inch, 3 mm. Place eggplant slices on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush some olive oil and sprinkle sea salt, freshly ground pepper, and dried oregano all over the eggplants.
A baking sheet lined with parchment paper and cooked eggplant slices.
Bake for about 15 minutes.

When the meat sauce is ready and the eggplant slices are cooked, start the bechamel.

Make the béchamel sauce

Warm up the milk.

A whisk stirring butter and flour in a pot.
In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low. Add the flour, whisk until smooth, and cook until the flour is no longer raw, about one to two minutes.
A whisk stirring roux in a pot.
Whisk all around the edges of the pan to prevent burning.
Milk poured in a pot with a white sauce.
Whisking constantly, gradually add ¼ cup of the milk. The sauce will start thickening. Slowly add another ¼ cup of the milk and whisk until smooth. Repeat with the remaining ¼ cup of the milk, constantly whisking until the sauce is smooth and creamy.
A white creamy sauce and a wooden spoon.
Season to taste with sea salt, freshly ground pepper, and a generous pinch of nutmeg. Set bechamel next to your sauce and pasta sheets and start assembling.
A baking pan lined with meat sauce and lasagna sheets.
Spoon a layer of meat sauce into the bottom of a 9-by-12-inch lasagna pan. Cover with a layer of pasta sheets.
A baking pan lined with meat sauce and lasagna sheets and meat sauce.
Add another thick layer of meat sauce.
A baking pan lined with meat sauce and lasagna sheets and eggplant slices.
Add a layer of eggplant and a generous sprinkle of grated parmesan.
A baking pan lined with meat sauce, eggplant slices and béchamel.
Cover eggplants with a layer of bechamel sauce.
A baking pan lined with eggplant slices and meat sauce.
Repeat for two more layers until your last layer is eggplant slices. Cover with the remaining meat sauce.
A baking pan lined with meat sauce, eggplant slices and béchamel sauce.
Top with the rest of the bechamel, and sprinkle grated parmesan evenly over the top. Bake for 30 minutes until the top is golden brown.
A white baking pan with eggplant lasagna next to a loaf of bread and utensils on a wooden table.

Let lasagna stand for 10 minutes before serving. Serve family style with a leafy salad and crusty bread.

Close up of eggplant lasagna with a piece taken out and utensis.

Thank you to Eri Manley for providing her beautiful kitchen and equipment for this lasagna dish.

Thank you to Karin Kautzky for assisting in prep and cooking.

You may also like

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A piece of eggplant lasagna on a plate with a fork.

Eggplant Lasagna With Béchamel

by Jenny Skrapaliori Graves
Rich, creamy, and deeply satisfying, this lasagna recipe tastes comforting and familiar with the extra sweetness of roasted eggplant. 
5 from 9 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 1 hour 45 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Greek, International, Italian
Servings 10
Calories 674 kcal

Equipment

  • Large pot For the ragu sauce
  • Parchment paper For eggplant prep
  • baking sheets For eggplant prep
  • Small saucepan To warm up the milk
  • Medium saucepan For the bechamel sauce
  • 9-by-12-inch lasagna pan

Ingredients
  

For the meat ragu sauce

  • 2 large eggplants cut in ⅛ inch / 3 mm thin slices, plus one more in case you need extra layers
  • 2 lbs ground beef
  • 2 28 oz cans of San Marzano tomatoes pulse in a food processor or smash with your hands
  • 1 onion
  • 1 celery stalk diced
  • 1 carrot diced
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1½ cup parmesan cheese grated
  • 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 3 cloves
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • sea salt
  • freshly ground pepper

You also need

  • Lasagna pasta sheets no boil
  • 2-3 sprigs of fresh herbs oregano or thyme. Optional

For the bechamel

  • 4 cups whole milk plus more for loosening the sauce
  • 6 tablespoons butter
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour plus more for thickening the sauce
  • 1 teaspoon nutmeg
  • sea salt
  • freshly ground pepper

Instructions
 

Make the ragu

  • Place a large pot on the stove and turn the heat to medium. Put the olive oil, diced onion and garlic in the pot, stir, and cook until fragrant, about one minute. Add the chopped celery and carrot. Cook for about 2 minutes, stirring vegetables to coat them well.
  • Add the ground beef, a large pinch of salt, and freshly ground pepper. Break the meat with a wooden spoon, stir well, and cook until the beef is browned all over.
  • Add two teaspoons dried oregano, some chopped fresh herbs(optional), ½ teaspoon nutmeg, three cloves, a bay leaf, and the cinnamon stick and stir.
  • Pour in the tomatoes and stir. When the sauce bubbles, turn the heat down and cook for 45 minutes to an hour, stirring occasionally. Add half a cup of water or broth whenever necessary, and keep this sauce liquidy. Adjust sea salt and pepper to taste.

Heat the oven to 375°F / 190°C.

    Prepare the eggplant

    • Cut the eggplants into thin slices about 1/8 of an inch, 3 mm. Place eggplant slices on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush some olive oil and sprinkle sea salt, freshly ground pepper, and dried oregano all over the eggplants. Bake for about 15 minutes.

    After the meat ragu sauce is done and the eggplant slices are cooked start the bechamel

    • In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low. Add the flour, whisk until smooth, and cook until the flour is no longer raw, about one to two minutes.
      Whisk all around the edges of the pan to prevent burning.
    • Whisking constantly, gradually add ⅓ of the milk. The sauce will start thickening. Slowly add another ⅓ of the milk and whisk until smooth. Repeat with the remaining milk, constantly whisking until the sauce is smooth and creamy.
    • Season to taste with sea salt, freshly ground pepper, and a generous pinch of nutmeg. Set bechamel next to your sauce and pasta sheets and start assembling.

    Assemble

    • Spoon a layer of meat sauce into the bottom of a 9-by-12-inch lasagna pan. Cover with a layer of pasta sheets.
      Spoon more meat sauce on top. Then, add a layer of eggplant and a generous sprinkle of grated parmesan.
      Cover eggplants with a thin layer of bechamel sauce.
      Repeat for two more layers until your last layer is eggplant slices. Cover with the remaining meat sauce.
      Top with the rest of the bechamel, and sprinkle grated parmesan evenly over the top.
      Bake for 30 minutes until the top is golden brown. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

    Notes

      • It is best to have extra butter, milk, and all-purpose flour to make more bechamel.  
      • Two large eggplants are enough for this recipe but keep an extra available to layer more slices if needed.
      • My go-to is 85/100 ground beef. I prefer it to a very lean cut. You can also use a combination of ground beef and pork or ground sausage. For leaner lasagna, you can also make it with ground turkey.
      • Two cans of authentic San Marzano tomatoes create a saucy ragu. I use my food processor to make a passata-tomato puree. 
      • In this recipe, I am using no-boil lasagna. This is because the meat sauce has plenty of extra liquid to cook the pasta in this recipe. I have cooked this dish with fresh pasta sheets and boiled dry pasta sheets. The results were the same. Perhaps you want to make the ragu less saucy if you boil your pasta or use fresh, especially if you dislike extra sauce. 
    •  
    •  
    •  
     
     
    Nutritional Info – Please remember that the nutritional information provided is only estimated and can vary based on the products used.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 674kcalCarbohydrates: 49gProtein: 30gFat: 40gSaturated Fat: 16gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 17gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 104mgSodium: 415mgPotassium: 741mgFiber: 5gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 1502IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 270mgIron: 3mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @thegreekfoodie__ or tag #thegreekfoodie__
    Eggplant Lasagna With Béchamel
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    12 Comments

    1. Ooooo, it’s like a moussaka but with pasta instead of potato. I have to tell you I’m drooling over my keyboard right now because your photos are so enticing!

      Reply

    4. 5 stars
      This Eggplant Lasagna With Béchamel came out so good. I love that there is Eggplant plant in every bite and the bechamel sauce is thick and rich , the perfect compliment to all of the flavors. This is something I will be making again .

      Reply

    5. 5 stars
      My mum loves aubergine and always look out for new aubergine recipes, althought she has 1000+ recipes 😀 Love the spices and flavours you have added in here, can’t wait to make it for her!!

      Reply

    6. 5 stars
      This is my favorite eggplant lasagna ever. I made it with a twist: no lasagna noodles; instead, I used eggplant slices. Heavenly delicious. Thanks for the inspiration.

      Reply

    7. 5 stars
      What a fabulous meal! I love eggplant so this is definitely a recipe I must try…the bechamel is so comforting!

      Reply

    8. 5 stars
      Your recipe made a perfect bechamel sauce and the lasagne turned out sooooo good! Everyone raved about it.

      Reply

    9. Hello. I look forward to trying this but have a few questions. Do you drain the grease off the ground beef mixture before adding the tomatoes and remaining ingredients?
      It might also be helpful to remind folks to remove the bay leaf and cinnamon stick before assembly.
      The recipe calls for 4 Cups of milk. Should it actually read 3/4 cup?
      Thanks for sharing.

      Reply

      1. Hi Angela,

        That is a great question. I drain the grease if it is too much. In Greece we don’t drain it because beef here and meat in general is much leaner, even the fatty meats. In the US I play it by ear. If the fat is too much I remove most. Fat is what gives flavor and there is a fine line about how much to leave in.
        Good point about the bayleaf, I will follow your suggestion.
        I use four American cups of milk. In general, always have more in case you want to add to loosen up the béchamel. And have more flour available for the opposite. Béchamel is a tricky sauce that can have a mind of its own sometimes! Another tip is to make more béchamel than you need. It is better to have extra instead of having less. Save the leftover and use it to make potato fritters or a mornay sauce over pasta, asparagus or a protein.

        Good luck, please let me know if you liked it.

        x Jenny

        Reply

    10. I don’t understand the bechamel recipe. You call for 4 cups of milk but then use 3/4 cup in the recipe. Can you please clarify? Thank you.

      Reply

      1. Hi Gus,

        It was a typo, thank you so much for catching that!
        It was supposed to be one third of the milk not 1/4 of a cup of milk.
        Errors like that happen when we upgrade plugins or revise a recipe. We fixed it now.
        Thanks again for checking out the recipe!
        x Jenny

        Reply