Roasted Eggplant Lasagna

This year I have almost enough eggplants growing.  Almost.  Maybe need one or two more Black Beauty or Florida Market.  For the large oval boat size eggs.  By far, our best producers are the Orlando Eggplant and the Hansel.  Orlando is very good and tasty, and has kept on producing through the heat and on again/off again droughty summer we've been having.  Sunday night, I picked all the ripe eggplant and made lasagna.  Yummmmm .....

Roasted Eggplant Lasagna

Ingredients:
Eggplant
1 28oz can Cento Crushed Tomatoes
1 cup red wine
Barilla Oven Ready Lasagne Pasta
Olive Oil
Sea Salt
Pepper
Italian Spices
Onion
Garlic
Sweet Banana Pepper
Bell Pepper
Hot Pepper
Kale
Ricotta Cheese
Mozzarella  Ball
Hard Parmesan Cheese

Process:

Slice Eggplant in half length-wise. Spread a thin layer of olive oil in a 9x13 baking dish.  Sprinkle Italian Spices and Sea Salt, then lay eggplant cut side down in pan.  Spray the tops of the eggplant with a bit of oil and season.  Bake in 350 oven for 30 minutes.

** Note!  Eggplant skin is good for your brain!  And good for your body and soul!  Eat it!  To make it more tender, turn the eggplant over and bake for an additional 10 minutes or so.

While the eggplant is baking, prepare the pasta sauce.  This is your chance to go forth into your summer garden and find goodies.  Yes, goodies.  Onion, garlic, basil, chives, savory, thyme, roselle.  Greek peppers, bell peppers, a touch of hot pepper.  All the ripe, near ripe and over ripe current, cherry, pear tomatoes you can find clinging to life in the summer heat.

In a good size Chef's pan, saute the onions, garlic, and peppers in a bit of olive oil.  Dice all the other goodies into small pieces.  Add the can of crushed tomatoes to the sauteed goodness.  Add spices.  Add wine.  Have a sip of wine or two while you are cooking this up.  Heck, pass the bottle my way!  Add all the diced up goodness from the garden.  Bring sauce to a soft roll, then reduce heat and simmer while the eggplant is cooking.  Add more wine if it is getting a bit too thick.  Or water if you insist.

When the eggplant is finished roasting, and the skin is soft enough for your eating desire, remove the eggplant from the pan and sit to the side.  Spoon a layer of sauce in the bottom of the baking dish you used for roasting the eggplant.  Now, put the eggplant back in, skin side up.  Add a thin layer of sauce.  Add 3/4 of the ricotta.  Add a layer of Barilla Oven Ready Lasagne.  Add the remaining sauce.  Add the remainder of the ricotta, shred the mozzarella ball and top it all off with some shaved hard Parmesan.   Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.  Let rest for 5 minutes.

Serve with red wine and garlic bread.  In a few months, add a garden salad side!

I have baby lettuce!  More on that later .....

Oh, and the lasagna was just as good if not better warmed in the oven the next night.