By Irene Hayton

This lasagna recipe uses eggplant slices instead of pasta so it’s suitable for those who have wheat sensitivities and/or those who are trying to decrease their consumption of starchy carbohydrates. It takes a bit of time to make but the result is well worth the effort. It freezes well so you can have extra for future meals. This colourful lasagna is a great dish to serve to company; your guests probably won’t even notice that it doesn’t contain pasta.

Because the eggplant and zucchini add a lot of moisture to this dish, it’s important to roast them first so that the lasagna doesn’t turn out to be soggy. Equally important is to: use dry cottage cheese; make sure you squeeze out as much water as possible from the spinach; and don’t add water to the sauce. If you have dairy sensitivities, you can substitute crumbled medium-firm tofu for the cottage cheese, soy or rice cheese for the Parmesan, Romano, or asiago cheese, and goat’s milk feta for the feta.

Sauce:

  • 1 tablespoon (15ml) olive oil
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 pound (500 g) lean ground turkey breast
  • 1 carrot, grated
  • 19 ounce (540 ml) can diced tomatoes
  • 3 sun-dried tomatoes, diced
  • 5½ ounce (156 ml) can tomato paste
  • ½ teaspoon (2 ml) oregano
  • ½ teaspoon (2 ml) basil
  • ¼ teaspoon (1 ml) stevia powder
  • 2 pinches sea salt
  • 1 large eggplant (about 1½ pounds/750 g), peeled, ends removed and sliced lengthwise about ½ inch (1 cm) wide
  • 2 medium zucchini, ends removed and sliced lengthwise about ½ inch (1 cm) wide
  • 2 red peppers, sliced into 1½ inch (3 cm) pieces
  • olive oil
  • sea salt
  • 10 ounce (300 g) package frozen spinach, thawed, well-drained and chopped (see Note)
  • 375 g container dry cottage cheese
  • 3½ cups (875 ml) grated Mozzarella cheese (or 400g package of grated Mozzarella)
  • ¼ cup (75 ml) grated Parmesan, Romano, feta, or asiago cheese

To make the sauce: Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil, onion and garlic and cook until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add the ground turkey and cook until it is no longer pink. Add the remaining sauce ingredients, stir well, bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, while you roast the vegetables.

To roast the vegetables: Preheat the oven to 375° F (190° C). Place the slices of eggplant, zucchini and red pepper on baking sheets (you will need about 4 baking sheets; if you don’t have this many, just roast the vegetables in batches.) Lightly brush the vegetables with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt, and then roast them for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, turn the vegetable slices over, lightly brush with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Return the vegetables to the oven and roast for about 15 minutes more, checking frequently, or until they are lightly browned and dehydrated (most of the moisture is removed). When all the vegetables are done, turn the oven down to 350° F (180° C).

To assemble the lasagna: Combine the cottage cheese and spinach in a medium bowl, mix well and set aside. Spread a small amount of sauce (about ¼ cup/75 ml) on the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch (23 x 33 cm) baking dish. Layer the ingredients as follows:

  • eggplant slices (overlap them to cover the whole     bottom of the baking dish)
  • all of the cottage cheese/spinach mixture
  • thin layer of sauce
  • ⅓ of the Mozzarella
  • zucchini slices
  • remaining sauce; press down all the way around the dish, including the edges
  • ⅓ of the Mozzarella
  • remaining eggplant slices, if any are left
  • red pepper slices
  • remaining Mozzarella
  • Parmesan, Romano, feta or asiago cheese

Bake the lasagna, uncovered, for 40 to 50 minutes, until hot and bubbling. Remove from the oven and let sit for about 15 minutes before serving. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Note: To cut down on preparation time, we used frozen spinach. If you prefer, you can use fresh spinach, about 10 ounces (300 g). Wash the spinach well and remove the stems. Place the leaves in a pot, cover and cook, stirring often, over medium heat for just a few minutes, until the spinach is wilted. There’s no need to add any water to the pot; there’ll be enough water clinging to the spinach leaves. Drain well and chop.