Recipe. You Won't Want To Miss This!

Eggplant & Ricotta Lasagne.

Lasagne Con Melanzane E Ricotta. Primary credit for this recipe goes to The Silver Spoon, “the bible of authentic Italian cooking.” But in my mind, I associate it with a special lunch prepared for me by my long-time friend and colleague Janet Verneuille. Janet is one of those people that shows her caring through her preparation and sharing of wonderful, delicious foods. This lunch was a stand-out. As was her son Ryan’s words of wisdom and encouragement that became a sweet dessert.

1 large eggplant

Butter for greasing

11 oz. lasagne sheets—I use no boil packaged lasagne (Barilla)

1/2 cup pine nuts, chopped

2/3 cup ricotta cheese

1/2 cup potato paste

12 fresh basil leaves

Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling

4 tbsp. fresh, grated Parmesan cheese

salt

Place peeled eggplant slices in a colander, sprinkle with salt and let drain for 2 hours; I have found that one hour is sufficient, and I also “press” the liquid out by placing a bowl topped with a couple of weighty cookbooks on top of the eggplant. This step results in the sweetest, most delicious eggplant!

Rinse, pat dry and place on a lightly greased (olive oil) cookie sheet. Roast at 375 degrees (F) until tender, around 15 minutes.

Grease your baking dish. If using lasagne noodles that require boiling, get them ready (al dente) now. Starting with a layer of half of the lasagne pasta, layer half the eggplant, then half the pine nuts, half the ricotta, 4 tbsp. of the tomato paste, and half the basil leaves. Drizzle with olive oil, and repeat these steps for the next layer. Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese on top.

Bake at 350 degrees (F) for approximately 40 minutes. Let it set for a few minutes before slicing to serve.

Serve with salad and crusty bread, olive oil for an extra drizzle, and a little more freshly grated Parmesan cheese to sprinkle on top.

Serves 4.