Vegetarian Eggplant Lasagna (Easy!)

Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 eggplant (medium to large, cut into small cubes (about 1cm))
• 5 cloves garlic (crushed)
• 1/4 teaspoon chili flakes (optional)
• 2 cans chopped tomatoes ((14 ounce cans))
• 1 teaspoon sugar (heaped)
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 bunch basil (chopped, or a heaped teaspoon dried herbs (I use mixed Italian))
• 1.5 cups ricotta cheese
• 1 egg
• 1 cup parmesan cheese (plus some extra for sprinkling)
• black pepper (to taste)
• 8 lasagna sheets (fresh or dried (You'll need roughly 5 to 8 sheets, depending on their size of course))

Instructions

1. 1

   Heat up oil and cook eggplant for 10 mins.: Heat up the olive oil in a large skillet/frying pan, then cook the eggplant cubes for 10 minutes, stirring regularly.

2. 2

   Add garlic and chili.: Add the garlic and chili flakes and cook and stir for another minute or two.

3. 3

   Add rest of sauce ingredients and simmer for 15 minutes.: Add the tomatoes, sugar, balsamic vinegar and herbs and simmer for 15 minutes or until the eggplant is tender.

4. 4

   Meanwhile, combine ricotta, egg, parmesan and pepper.: Meanwhile, beat the egg and 1 cup of parmesan into the ricotta cheese. Grind in some black pepper (to taste).

5. 5

   Begin layering the lasagna in this order: eggplant, lasagna sheets, eggplant.: Cover the bottom of a 10 x 7 inch (or equivalent/similar) baking dish with a really thin layer of the eggplant mixture (just to stop the lasagne sticking). Top with lasagna sheets, then spread a good layer of eggplant sauce over them.

6. 6

   Top with half ricotta and parmesan.: Top with half the ricotta mixture. Sprinkle with a bit of extra parmesan cheese.

7. 7

   Top with more eggplant sauce, more lasagna and the rest of the ricotta and more parmesan.: Add another layer of eggplant sauce (you will have lots left over, which is OK), then more lasagna sheets, then top with the rest of the ricotta mixture. Finally, sprinkle with more parmesan cheese.

8. 8

   Bake for 30 minutes.: Bake at 355F/180C for 30 minutes or until bubbling around the edges and starting to brown on top.