Oh hey, Passover. Nice to see you again 👋 Is it just me or does anyone else feel like they’re on a never-ending quest to “beat” Passover? Each year I try to reinvent the wheel and find new ways to not eat matzah pizza every night. Wait, wait, wait, I’m not hating on matzah pizza. I LOVE matzah pizza, but I feel like I eat 12 pieces of it, am still hungry, and have a tire around waist for the next week. So my quest continues this year and it took me to a delicious compromise! 🎉 Passover Baked Eggplant Lasagna 🎉 Is it healthy food? Nope. Is it delicious? Yup. Does it have vegetables? Yup. So basically it’s like salad, right? Sure…
In all seriousness, this Passover Baked Eggplant Lasagna is comforting, hearty, a little different, and super satisfying. On my Passover quest, I call that a win! Also, not celebrating Passover? Use panko or breadcrumbs. Need this to be gluten free? Use GF Matzo Meal or GF breadcrumbs. It works every way 🙌
INGREDIENTS
EGGPLANT
- 1 Large Eggplant, sliced 1/4″ thick
- Salt
BREADING
- 2 Eggs, beaten
- 1 cup Matzo Meal
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Onion Powder
- 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning
LASAGNA
- Olive Oil
- 1 26 oz jar Marinara Sauce, I use Gefen
- 1 cup Shredded Cheese, Mozzarella or Italian Blend
OPTIONAL
- Basil, torn
- Parmesan
INSTRUCTIONS
OK here’s the deal, eggplant can be very bitter so we salt it to “debitterify” it. I’m not going to lie–I actually don’t understand the science behind what actually happens here but, just don’t skip this step! Layer the eggplant in a strainer, generously salting each layer. Place a paper towel on top of strainer and place an empty mixing bowl on top. The weight helps move things along.
Place the whole stack into the sink and let sit for 45 minutes. After 45 minutes, thoroughly rinse the eggplant and pat dry with paper towels.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray.
Place the beaten eggs in a small bowl. In a medium or wider bowl, combine the matzo meal, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning. Make an assembly line on your counter, starting with the eggplant, then egg, then matzo meal mixture, then the prepared sheet pan.
Dip each piece of eggplant in the egg (letting any excess drip off), then in the matzo meal mixture, then arrange in a single layer on the prepared sheet pan. Repeat until all are coated. Depending on the size of your eggplant, you may need a second pan.
Bake the eggplant for 10 minutes, flip each piece of eggplant over, then bake for 10 more minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and decrease the temperature to 350 degrees.
Drizzle some olive oil in an 8 x 8 or 9 x 9 baking dish. Spoon some marinara sauce into the baking dish. You just want a bit of a coating on the bottom of the lasagna.
Arrange a layer of eggplant slices in the pan. Spoon some marinara sauce onto each slice, then sprinkle cheese onto each slice. Now repeat until all of the eggplant is layered into the dish.
Pour any remaining sauce over the top, sprinkle with the rest of the cheese.
Bake uncovered for 30 minutes.
When done, you can sprinkle with the fresh basil and/or parmesan if you want! Serve hot.
Check out that cheese pull! YUM! I hope you love this Passover Baked Eggplant Lasagna as much as I do. Happy Passover!
Follow me on Instagram and tag @500spatulas so I can see all the recipes you make. 👩🍳
Passover Baked Eggplant Lasagna
Ingredients
Eggplant
- 1 Large Eggplant sliced 1/4″ thick
- Salt
Breading
- 2 Eggs beaten
- 1 cup Matzo Meal
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Onion Powder
- 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning
Lasagna
- Olive Oil
- 1 26 oz jar Marinara Sauce
- 1 cup Shredded Cheese Mozzarella or Italian Blend
Optional
- Basil torn
- Parmesan
Instructions
- Eggplant can be very bitter–do not skip this step! Layer the eggplant in a strainer, generously salting each layer. Place a paper towel on top of strainer and place an empty mixing bowl on top. Place the whole stack into the sink and let sit for 45 minutes. The salt draws out the bitterness and is crucial! After 45 minutes, thoroughly rinse the eggplant and pat dry with paper towels.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray.
- Place the beaten eggs in a small bowl. In a medium or wider bowl, combine the matzo meal, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, and italian seasoning. Make an assembly line on your counter, starting with the eggplant, then egg, then matzo meal mixture, then the prepared sheet pan. Dip each piece of eggplant in the egg (letting any excess drip off), then in the matzo meal mixture, then arrange in a single layer on the prepared sheet pan. Repeat until all are coated. Depending on the size of your eggplant, you may need a second pan.
- Bake the eggplant for 10 minutes, flip each piece of eggplant over, then bake for 10 more minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and decrease the temperature to 350 degrees.
- Drizzle some olive oil in an 8 x 8 or 9 x 9 baking dish. Spoon some marinara sauce into the baking dish. You just want a bit of a coating on the bottom of the lasagna. Arrange a layer of eggplant slices in the pan. Spoon some marinara sauce onto each slice, then sprinkle cheese onto each slice. Now repeat until all of the eggplant is layered into the dish. Pour any remaining sauce over the top, sprinkle with the rest of the cheese. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes. When done, you can sprinkle with the fresh basil and/or parmesan if you want! Serve hot.
