Rich Beef and Eggplant Lasagna
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Everyday Food, October 2010
- Prep Time 25 minutes
- Total Time 1 hour, 15 minutes plus cooling
- Yield Serves 4 to 6
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Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds eggplant, sliced into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- coarse salt and ground pepper
- 1 pound ground beef or lamb
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 recipe Basic Bechamel Sauce
- 8 no-boil lasagna noodles
- 1 1/4 cups grated Parmesan (3 1/4 ounces)
Directions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees, with racks in middle and upper third. Divide eggplant between two rimmed baking sheets. Toss each with 1 tablespoon oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake until tender, 20 minutes, stirring eggplant and rotating sheets halfway through. Let sheets cool on wire racks.
- Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high. Add beef and cook, stirring occasionally, until cooked through, 4 minutes. Add allspice, mint, and oregano, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, 3 minutes. Transfer beef to a medium bowl.
- Spread 1 cup sauce in an 8-inch square baking dish. Top with 2 noodles. Layer with half the beef, then 1 cup sauce and 1/4 cup Parmesan. Top with 2 more noodles, half the eggplant, 1 cup sauce, and 1/4 cup Parmesan. Repeat layering with remaining ingredients, reserving the last 1/4 cup Parmesan. Cover lasagna loosely with foil and bake on top rack until sauce is bubbling, 35 to 40 minutes. (Place a rimmed baking sheet on middle rack to catch any drippings.) Remove lasagna from oven and heat broiler. Sprinkle with reserved Parmesan and broil until cheese is browned and bubbling, 3 to 5 minutes. Let cool 20 minutes before slicing.
This was delish! I used one part fat free half and half and one part skim milk in the sauce and it was perfect.