Recipe courtesy of Alex Guarnaschelli
Recipe courtesy of Alex Guarnaschelli
Watch how to make this recipe.
White Lasagna with Eggplant and Brown Butter Breadcrumbs
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- Level: Intermediate
- Total: 2 hr
- Active: 1 hr
- Yield: 6 to 8 servings
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 8 servings
- Calories
- 1706
- Total Fat
- 123 g
- Saturated Fat
- 37 g
- Carbohydrates
- 109 g
- Dietary Fiber
- 11 g
- Sugar
- 20 g
- Protein
- 45 g
- Cholesterol
- 241 mg
- Sodium
- 1600 mg
My mother loved lasagna with white sauce. If I’m being honest, I always wondered why anyone would want the lasagna experience without the acidity, brightness and texture of cooked tomato. Then I grew up. Ate a lot of lasagnas. Cooked even more of them. I realized that hidden in the layers of a great béchamel sauce with meaty eggplant and brown buttery breadcrumbs is a taste of pure heaven. I feel like I finally understand my mom. And lasagna. Sometimes I make this eggplant lasagna and then a classic one and serve them both together. Sometimes I make this eggplant lasagna without the pasta. Sometimes I serve a pot of tomato sauce on the side. People love it.
- Level: Intermediate
- Total: 2 hr
- Active: 1 hr
- Yield: 6 to 8 servings
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 8 servings
- Calories
- 1706
- Total Fat
- 123 g
- Saturated Fat
- 37 g
- Carbohydrates
- 109 g
- Dietary Fiber
- 11 g
- Sugar
- 20 g
- Protein
- 45 g
- Cholesterol
- 241 mg
- Sodium
- 1600 mg
Ingredients
Béchamel Sauce:
Eggplant and Layers:
Breadcrumb Topping:
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Directions
- Make the béchamel sauce: In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until you smell the flour and butter cooking, 2 to 3 minutes. Do not allow it to brown. Whisk in the milk until smooth. Add the bay leaves, 1 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Cook, stirring from time to time with a wooden spoon, until the mixture thickens like a soup, 8 to10 minutes. Remove the bay leaves and stir in the Parmesan cheese.
- Bread the eggplant: In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk. In another bowl, combine the Italian breadcrumbs, panko, garlic powder and oregano. Season each eggplant slice lightly with salt on both sides. Dip each slice of eggplant into the egg mixture and then in the breadcrumbs. Make sure to coat both sides of each slice of eggplant. Arrange them in a single layer on 2 baking sheets.
- Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F.
- Cook the eggplant: In a large skillet, pour in enough oil so that it covers the bottom of the pan by about 1/4 inch. Heat the oil over medium-high heat until it begins to smoke lightly. Use a pair of kitchen tongs to add a single layer of eggplant to the pan. Cook them for about 2 minutes on each side or until they are golden brown. Slightly season the eggplant with salt. Remove from the oil and transfer to a baking sheet covered with a kitchen towel so the eggplant can drain as the others cook. This will take about 6 batches; after about 3 batches, discard the oil, wipe the pan clean, add more oil and continue cooking the eggplant. Season the cooked eggplant lightly with salt.
- Cook the pasta: In a large pot, bring 4 quarts of water to a boil over medium heat. Add a generous handful of salt, stir to dissolve and add the lasagna sheets. Cook for 4 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water. The pasta should still be very firm to the touch. Separate the sheets carefully so they don’t stick together.
- Assemble: Spoon about a quarter of the béchamel sauce over the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Arrange about 1/3 of the pasta sheets over the sauce. Layer about 1/3 of the eggplant on top. Layer with 1/3 of the basil leaves and mozzarella. Repeat the layering process 2 more times.
- Cook: Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil and place on a baking sheet (to avoid anything dripping onto the oven floor). Bake in the center of the oven for 45 minutes. Raise the temperature of the oven to 450 degrees F and remove the aluminum foil. Bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes or until the top browns slightly. Remove from the oven.
- Breadcrumb topping: In a medium sauté pan, heat the butter over medium heat until it melts and starts to brown. When it turns a light amber color and starts to smell like roasted almonds, shut off the heat and stir in the panko. Stir in the cheese and mix vigorously to combine.
- Serve: Let the lasagna sit for 15 minutes before serving. Spoon the breadcrumb topping in an even layer over the lasagna. Garnish with torn basil leaves. Cut into squares and plate individually.
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