Eggplant Lasagna
Updated Jul 09, 2026
This eggplant lasagna recipe uses roasted eggplant instead of pasta, layered with ricotta, marinara, basil, and Parmesan.
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Eggplant lasagna is one of those dishes I didn’t expect to like as much as I do. I love classic lasagna, but swapping the noodles for eggplant changes the whole feel in a way that actually works, especially when it’s layered with a good marinara and plenty of cheese. This eggplant lasagna recipe leans into the eggplant instead of trying to hide it.
Salting and roasting the slices first keeps everything from turning watery, and once it’s baked, the layers hold together really well. It’s rich, cheesy, and satisfying, just a little lighter than traditional lasagna, and I honoestly think you won’t miss the pasta!
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Recipe testing notes
For the past 10 years, I’ve tested every recipe multiple times before sharing it! These notes give you a peek into my process of developing and testing my Eggplant Lasagna.
Roast the Eggplant Before Assembling
After receiving a few comments that the eggplant was still tough after baking, I went back to retest the recipe. I surprisingly found the same issue, even though I don’t remember that when originally developing the recipe. Even after an additional 25 minutes in the oven, the raw eggplant wasn’t as tender as I wanted.
Roasting the slices at 400°F for about 15 minutes before assembling made a huge difference. The eggplant became so tender, and roasting also brought out a richer, sweeter flavor in the finished lasagna.
Happy Cooking!
– Yumna
Eggplant Lasagna Ingredients
- Eggplant: Look for large eggplants at the store. You want the slices to be wide enough and long enough to mimic the size and shape of lasagna sheets. Here’s a quick guide on how to cut eggplant.
- For the sauce: Combine cooked chopped yellow onion with minced garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Then add marinara and finish with some fresh basil. You can make your own marinara sauce or use store-bought.
- For the ricotta mixture: Mix together egg, ricotta, Parmesan cheese, more fresh basil, and pepper.
- Mozzarella: After each layer of sauce, eggplant, and ricotta, you’ll add a layer of shredded mozzarella. I recommend buying a block and shredding it yourself.
How to Make Eggplant Lasagna
These step-by-step photos show how I salt the eggplant, make the marinara sauce, the ricotta mixture and then layer the lasagna. For exact measurements and full instructions, skip down to the Eggplant Lasagna Recipe.
1. SALT THE EGGPLANT
Place the eggplant on a wire rack and sprinkle with salt. Let them sit until you see moisture on the surface.
2. REMOVE THE MOISTURE
Use a paper towel to dab all the moisture.
3. COOK THE AROMATICS
Cook the onion until softened and translucent. Add the garlic and Italian seasoning, cook until fragrant, and season with salt and pepper.
4. ADD MARINARA
Next, add the marinara sauce and some of the basil. Stir to combine and simmer until warmed through. Then, remove from the heat.
5. ADD RICOTTA INGREDIENTS
Whisk the egg. Then add the ricotta, some of the Parmesan, some of the basil, and pepper.
6. MIX TO COMBINE
Use a fork or whisk to make sure it all combines well.
7. START WITH MARINARA
Add some of the marinara to the bottom of a baking dish and spread it in an even layer.
8. ADD EGGPLANT SLICES
Top with some of the eggplant slices. Some overlap is totally fine!
9. ADD RICOTTA MIXTURE
Top with some of the ricotta mixture spread out as much as possible.
10. ADD MOZZARELLA
Add some of the shredded mozzarella on top of the ricotta mixtre.
11. CONTINUE LAYERS
Repeat two more times. Finish the final sprinkling of mozzarella cheese with the remaining Parmesan cheese and pepper.
12. BAKE UNTIL BUBBLY
Bake, covered with foil, until softened and the cheese melts. Remove the foil and broil until the cheese is slightly brown and bubbling.
Recipe Video Tutorial
Full Low-Carb Eggplant Lasagna Recipe
Eggplant Lasagna Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 large eggplants ends trimmed and sliced into ⅛-inch planks
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 25-ounce jar marinara sauce
- ½ cup fresh basil chopped and divided plus more for garnish
- 1 large egg
- 1 15-ounce tub ricotta cheese whole milk
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese divided
- 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line two baking sheets with cooling racks. Place the eggplant slices on the racks and season with salt. Let them sit for 15 minutes, then dab excess moisture with a paper towel. Brush with 1 tablespoon of the oil and bake in the oven for 15 minutes.
- In a large skillet, heat the remaining oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, until softened and translucent. Add the garlic,Italian seasoning and black pepper, and cook for 1 minute, cooking until fragrant. Add the marinara sauce and ¼ cup fresh basil, stirring to combine. Simmer for 3 minutes until warmed through. Remove from the heat.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the egg, then mix in the ricotta, ¾ cup Parmesan, remaining ¼ cup basil, and freshly ground black pepper.
- In a 13×9 baking dish, pour ⅓ of the marinara on the bottom of the pan. Top with ⅓ of the eggplant slices, then ⅓ of the ricotta mixture, and 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese. Repeat this sequence an additional 2 times, finishing off the final sprinkling of mozzarella with the remaining ¼ cup Parmesan and more black pepper. Lightly grease a sheet of foil and place it on top of the lasagna, greased side down. Bake for 30 minutes until the eggplant is softened and the cheese is melted. Remove the foil and continue baking for 20 more minutes.
- Let cool at least 10 minutes before slicing. Garnish with more fresh basil and serve immediately
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Recipe Variations
- Make it vegetarian: If you want to make this eggplant lasagna truly vegetarian, make sure you use a rennet-free Parmesan cheese.
- Or, make it meaty: You can easily make this lasagna with ground beef, chicken, or turkey if you prefer. Brown the meat with the onions, then add it to the marinara sauce.
- Add breadcrumbs: In the last 5–10 minutes of baking (before broiling), sprinkle breadcrumbs on top for a crunchy finish.
Recipe Tips
- Don’t skip the salting process. Eggplant has a lot of water content and will release a lot of moisture when cooked. Salting the eggplant slices before you add them to the lasagna draws out that moisture so the dish doesn’t get soggy.
- Cover the eggplant lasagna with foil when you bake it. If you bake it uncovered at first, the cheese on the top of the lasagna will burn. Bake it covered, then you can uncover during the last 20 minutes. You can also move it under the broiler to brown the top after cooking if needed.
- Place the eggplant lasagna over a sheet pan in the oven. The sheet pan helps catch any sauce that bubbles over, keeping your oven clean.
Serving Ideas
- Salads: Classic Greek Salad, Mediterranean Chopped Salad, Chickpea Salad
- Veggie sides: Cauliflower Au Gratin, Green Beans with Almonds, Sautéed Broccoli
- Potatoes: Air Fryer Potatoes, Baked Potato Wedges, Roasted Parmesan Potatoes
TROUBLESHOOTING
You may not have removed enough moisture from the eggplant. Make sure you salt the eggplant slices, let them sit for 15 minutes, and dab the moisture off. Don’t forget to do this on both sides!
Comments
After reading some comments and having all ingredients I decided to peel the eggplant and bake them longer. However, the eggplants were tough and hard to cut. The flavors were excellent.
Oh no! So sorry to hear that. Did you make sure to salt the eggplant beforehand? And do you know what type of eggplant you used? Some varieties have tougher skin than others.
This recipe was absolutely wonderful. It was so easy and so flavorful. My vegetarian daughter and husband love it. Thank you so much for your recipe I hope to find more from you.
Sign: a very happy wife & mom
Thanks so much, I am so glad!
Thanks for the yummy recipe (just like so many of your recipes!)
Would it work to assemble this the night before so that it can be ready to pop in the oven the next day?
You’re so welcome! Yes, this eggplant lasagna is a great make ahead meal. This recipe makes enough for 8 servings, so you can easily enjoy it later in the week. Once cooled, cover the lasagna and keep refrigerated for up to 5 days. Reheat it, covered with foil at 360F for around 20 minutes to warm through.
Hi, what can I substitute the egg with…we don’t have egg on vegetarian days.
Thanks
I haven’t tried this with an egg substitute yet, but you could try using a flax egg!
I’m so upset the eggplant was so tough. I think roasting it before doing this should be apart of this recipe.
That really shouldn’t have been the case, but I think that could help too!
I agree that the eggplant was tough and should have been roasted first. Otherwise it was a great recipe. Thanks for sharing
I’ll have to try it! Glad it turned out great for you!
I agree, the eggplant needs to be roasted first as mine was tough and hard to cut as well. Or possibly a longer cook time would help.
The flavors were excellent though. I’ll definitely try it again.
I’ll have to try that! Glad you enjoyed nonetheless!
I’ve always use cottage cheese, which we prefer, rather than ricotta in my veggie lasagna recipes and it works very well. I have yet to try this recipe, which looks yummy, and will use cottage as a sub for ricotta with no worries.
Let me know how cottage cheese works in this recipe once you’ve given it a try!
Hi Yumna,
Can I swap the ricotta for cottage cheese , do you think? I often use cottage cheese as a low fat alternative for mozzarella in my lasagna (the mouth feel is appr the same and no-one tastes the difference when it is hot and in the middle of a lasagna), and I was wondering if I can do this instead of ricotta as well. Thanks for letting me know!
I have yet to try that, but let me know if you do!
If you don’t want to do ricotta do farmers cheese, way better than cottage cheese imo