Eggplant Lasagna With Béchamel

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

Course Main Course

Cuisine Greek, International, Italian

Prep Time 1

Cook Time 1 45

Servings

Calories 674kcal

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

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.

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.

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 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.
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.

- 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.