Sysco Kitchen’s Eggplant Lasagna with Greco Italian Sausage
If you’re craving some comfort food but also trying to eat healthier, you must try this lasagna from Sysco’s Global Chef Neil Doherty. His guilt-free version is packed with Italian sausage and a surprising superfood: eggplant. Low in calories and full of fiber, potassium, and B vitamins, it’s a healthy swap for the typical pasta and will keep you coming back for seconds!
Ingredients
Sauce
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion diced
- 12 cloves garlic minced
- 2 pounds hot Italian sausage (preferably Greco brand)
- Two 28-ounce cans whole, peeled tomatoes, in juice crushed with your hands
- 12 basil leaves torn into pieces, plus more for garnish
- Granulated sugar to taste
- Kosher salt and black pepper
Eggplant
- 3 large eggplants very thinly sliced (1/16 of an inch)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup olive oil
Lasagna
- Nonstick cooking spray for greasing
- 4 cups grated Parmesan cheese
- 4 cups shredded mozzarella and provolone cheese
Instructions
Make the Sauce
- In a large pot, heat the olive oil. Add the onions and garlic and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until tender and translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the sausage to the pot and cook, breaking up the meat with a spatula, until cooked through and beginning to brown, about 8 minutes.
- Add the canned tomatoes and basil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer the sauce partially covered, stirring occasionally, until slightly reduced and the flavor has intensified, about 30 minutes. Add a pinch of sugar and season with salt and pepper. Adjust salt, pepper, and sugar to taste. Keep warm.
Meanwhile, Prepare the Eggplant
- Line a large rimmed baking sheet with paper towels. Arrange the sliced eggplant in a single layer and season with the salt. Let stand for 20 minutes. Pat the eggplant dry with the paper towels and transfer to a work surface. Line the baking sheet with fresh paper towels.
- In a large straight-sided sauté pan, heat ½ cup of the olive oil. Working in batches, pan-fry the eggplant over moderately high heat until beginning to brown, adding more olive oil as needed, about 1 minute per side. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet to drain and repeat with the remaining eggplant.
Assemble the Lasagna
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Begin layering the lasagna as follows: Start with a cup of the sauce on the bottom, then a layer of slightly overlapping eggplant slices, top with another cup of the sauce, and then sprinkle with Parmesan and mozzarella. Repeat until ¾ of the way up the pan (you should have 3 layers), finishing with a final layer of cheese.
- Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 10 minutes more, or until browned. Let cool for at least 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh basil leaves.
Notes
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!