Meat and Eggplant Sauce Lasagna

This meat and eggplant sauce lasagna incorporates ground beef into a homemade sauce plus carrots, zucchini, mushrooms, onion, and 3 cheeses.

• Preparation Time: 60 mins
• Cooking Time: 2 hr 8 mins
• Total Time: 3 hr 8 mins
• Calories: 412 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 egg
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 4 cups ricotta cheese
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 1 bay leaf
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
• 1 cup diced carrots
• 2 tablespoons dried basil
• 2 (28 ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
• 2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
• 1 (16 ounce) package lasagna noodles
• 1 eggplant, peeled and diced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil, or more as needed
• 5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 zucchini, peeled and diced
• 4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, or more to taste
• 0.5 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 0.5 large white onion, diced
• 0.75 cup tomato puree

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Step 2

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook and stir until onions start turning clear, 5 to 10 minutes. Add ground beef; season with salt and pepper. Cook and stir until browned and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes. Fill the empty tomato can with water and pour into the sauce.

Step 3

Stir eggplant, zucchini, mushrooms, carrots, tomato puree, 2 tablespoons salt, basil, black pepper, oregano, and bay leaf into the sauce. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until flavors are well blended, about 1 hour. Remove and discard bay leaf.

Step 4

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until tender yet firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain and lay the noodles out on paper towels to dry; remove and discard any broken pieces.

Step 5

Combine ricotta and egg in a bowl; season with salt and pepper and whisk thoroughly.

Step 6

Coat the bottom of a large baking pan with the sauce. Layer noodles, ricotta mixture, sauce, mozzarella cheese, and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese on top. Repeat layering until all used up. Cover the pan with aluminum foil.

Step 7

Bake in the preheated oven until bubbling furiously, 30 to 35 minutes. Uncover pan and increase oven temperature to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Continue baking until top is golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes more. Let lasagna sit for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.