Description
A delicious vegetarian Melanzane Lasagne featuring layers of grilled aubergine, rich tomato sauce infused with garlic and herbs, fresh lasagne sheets, and a blend of Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses topped with crispy breadcrumbs. Perfect as a comforting Italian meal that can be cooked fresh or frozen for convenience.
Ingredients
Scale
Aubergine and Topping
- 3 aubergines, sliced lengthways
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 5 tbsp breadcrumbs
- 100g Parmesan, or vegetarian alternative, grated
- 125g ball mozzarella, torn
Tomato Sauce
- 3 large garlic cloves, crushed
- 680ml jar passata
- ½ tbsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- small bunch basil leaves, torn
Other
- 200g fresh lasagne sheets
Instructions
- Grill the Aubergine: Heat the grill to high. Arrange the aubergine slices on a baking sheet, brush both sides with olive oil, and season well. Grill for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden brown and tender. Set aside.
- Prepare the Tomato Sauce: Heat olive oil in a saucepan. Add crushed garlic and fry for 1 minute until fragrant. Pour in the passata and add dried oregano, sugar, and red wine vinegar. Simmer gently for 10 minutes, then season with salt and pepper. Stir in torn basil leaves just before assembling.
- Assemble the Lasagne: In a roughly A4-sized baking dish, spread a few tablespoons of the tomato sauce over the base. Add a layer of grilled aubergine slices, then scatter over some grated Parmesan and torn mozzarella. Cover with a layer of fresh lasagne sheets. Repeat the layering process finishing with a topping of Parmesan, mozzarella and a sprinkle of breadcrumbs.
- Bake the Lasagne: Allow to cool if freezing. Otherwise, preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan)/gas mark 6 and bake the lasagne for 25-30 minutes until golden and bubbling.
- Cooking from Frozen: To cook from frozen, heat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan)/gas mark 4, and cook covered for 1½ hours. Then remove cover, increase heat to 220°C (200°C fan)/gas 7 and bake for another 30 minutes uncovered until golden and bubbly.
Notes
- For a vegetarian alternative, use vegetarian Parmesan or suitable hard cheese substitute.
- This lasagne freezes well; cool completely before freezing. Cook from frozen as described.
- The aubergine can be grilled ahead of time and kept refrigerated to speed up assembly.
- Fresh lasagne sheets offer the best texture but can be substituted with dried sheets if preferred—adjust cooking time accordingly.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes (fresh), 2 hours (from frozen)
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Keywords: Melanzane lasagne, aubergine lasagne, vegetarian lasagne, baked pasta, Italian recipe, tomato sauce lasagne
