Vegetarian Eggplant Lasagna With Garlic Bechamel Sauce Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F In a medium bowl, mix cheese layer ingredients together well and set aside.
• VEGETABLES: In a large skillet, heat the onion and garlic over medium heat. Sauté until the onions are translucent. Add the zucchini and mushrooms. Saute until the water has evaporated from the zucchini. Add sliced tomatoes, tomato paste and seasonings. Cook to reduce and thicken. Set aside.
• BECHAMEL: Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour slowly until the roux, whisk or stir for about 1-2 minutes.
• Add the milk slowly while whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes until the béchamel comes to a medium thickness (soft paste texture) Remove from heat and rest 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, to cool slightly. While whisking, slowly add the eggs a little at a time until incorporated well.
• ASSEMBLY: To a 9x13 pan, Spread a thin layer of Bechamel sauce into the bottom of the lasagna pan. Place a layer of cooked lasagna sheets, cut to fit into the pan if necessary. Add a thin layer of cheese mixture, then some spinach, followed with a vegetable layer. Repeat.
• Continue layering in this manner until ingredients are used up. Pour the remaining Bechamel sauce over top. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until bubbly. Let stand for 10-15 minutes before slicing.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Oil 2 baking sheets and a 9x13-inch baking dish with 1 teaspoon olive oil.
• Whisk eggs and water together in a shallow dish. Combine Parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, salt, and ground black pepper in a separate shallow dish.
• Dip eggplant slices into egg mixture, then press each gently into bread crumb mixture. Gently tap off any excess crumbs. Arrange slices on the prepared baking sheets.
• Bake eggplant slices in the preheated oven until tops are golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Flip eggplant and bake an additional 20 to 25 minutes.
• Remove eggplant from the oven and increase temperature to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and stir in ground beef. Season beef with salt and ground black pepper. Cook and stir until beef is browned and crumbly, about 10 minutes. Drain excess grease. Stir tomato sauce into ground beef; bring to a simmer and set sauce aside.
• Place 1/3 of the eggplant slices on bottom of the dish. Pour 1/3 of tomato sauce with ground beef on top of eggplant layer. Sprinkle 1/3 of mozzarella cheese on top of sauce layer. Repeat 2 more times, finishing with a layer of mozzarella cheese.
• Bake in the preheated oven until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbling, 10 to 15 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes before slicing.

Steps:

• Place eggplant slices in a colander and sprinkle with salt. Let stand for 30 minutes to release the bitter juices. Pat dry with paper towels.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Grease a baking sheet.
• Place eggplant on the prepared baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Bake in the preheated oven until browned, about 10 minutes. Flip and bake until browned on the other side, about 10 minutes more. Remove from oven and reduce oven temperature to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease a rectangular baking dish.
• While eggplant bakes, prepare bechamel sauce. Combine milk and garlic in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and set aside. Melt butter in a saucepan; stir in flour. Cook, stirring constantly, until flour cooks to a light, golden color, 5 to 7 minutes. Gradually pour hot milk through a sieve into the saucepan with the flour mixture; reserve garlic cloves. Continue cooking, stirring constantly, until a thick, smooth bechamel forms, about 5 minutes. Reduce temperature to very low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. Stir in cream and season with salt and white pepper. Set aside.
• Crush reserved garlic cloves and sprinkle over baked eggplant. Season with basil and pepper.
• Reheat bechamel sauce over low heat, while stirring well. If it is too thick, add a small amount of milk.
• Pour a few tablespoons of the bechamel sauce into the bottom of the baking dish. Place a layer of lasagna noodles on top and cover with a layer of eggplant. Add a layer of bechamel. Sprinkle with a layer of mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese. Continue layering until all lasagna noodles, eggplant, bechamel sauce, and mozzarella cheese are used up. End with a layer of lasagna noodles and sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese. Press down gently on the lasagna so noodles completely covered with bechamel sauce. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Remove aluminum foil and bake until lasagna is cooked through and lightly browned, about 15 minutes more. Remove from oven at let stand at least 10 minutes before serving.

Steps:

• Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 425°F.
• Cut 3 (1/3-inch-thick) lengthwise slices from center of eggplant and reserve remainder for another use. Brush 2 large shallow baking pans with 1 tablespoon oil total, then arrange eggplant, zucchini, and bell peppers in 1 layer in pans. Brush vegetables with remaining 2 tablespoons oil and sprinkle with pepper and 1 1/4 teaspoons salt. Roast, switching position of pans halfway through roasting, until eggplant and zucchini are browned and tender, 15 to 20 minutes total, then transfer eggplant and zucchini to a plate. Turn peppers over and continue to roast until tender, about 10 minutes more. Transfer peppers to a bowl and cover, then let stand 10 minutes. Meanwhile, move 1 rack to middle position and leave oven on. Peel peppers.
• While vegetables roast, cook garlic in butter in a 1 1/2- to 2-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, whisking frequently, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Whisk in flour and cook, whisking constantly, 2 minutes. Add milk in a slow stream, whisking, and bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Reduce heat and simmer, whisking frequently, 8 minutes (sauce will thicken slightly when it first comes to a boil). Remove from heat and cool béchamel sauce, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes. Stir in cheeses, basil, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt.
• Soak noodles in hot water just until pliable, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Spread 2/3 cup sauce in an 8-inch square baking dish. Drain 1 large noodle or 2 small noodles on a clean kitchen towel (not terry cloth) and put over sauce in dish. Top with half of zucchini in 1 layer, 1/2 cup sauce, and another noodle (or 2). Make another layer with all of eggplant, 1/2 cup sauce, and another noodle (or 2), and another with all of bell peppers, 1/2 cup sauce, and another noodle (or 2). Top with remaining zucchini, 1/2 cup sauce, and another noodle (or 2). Cover completely with remaining sauce.
• Bake until golden and bubbling, 25 to 30 minutes. Let stand in pan on a rack 20 minutes.