This is so good you won't even know there are no noodles in it đ *Omit the meat and have a delicious #meatlessmonday
RECIPE: 2 lbs. ground beef 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce 3-4 eggplant, medium/large 2 8 oz. packs of Italian blend shredded cheese 45 oz of your favorite tomato sauce 15 oz. ricotta cheese 12 oz frozen chopped spinach 1 tsp of red pepper flakes 1 tsp granulated garlic 1 tsp of salt cooking oil 9x12 baking pan
Preparation:
1. Microwave spinach 1-2 minutes until defrosted but not hot. Put spinach in a strainer and squeeze to remove as much water possible. 2. In a bowl combine the spinach, ricotta cheese, red pepper, salt, and garlic and set aside to come to room temperature.
3. Brown and drain ground beef (omit if making vegetarian), add in the Worcestershire sauce and tomato sauce, and heat until warm. 4. Cut the top and bottom off of the eggplants and slice lengthwise into 1/4 inch thick pieces.
5. Lightly coat both sides of the eggplant with oil using hands or a brush. (don't overdo it, the eggplants will soak up the oil very fast and become too oily) 6. Grill eggplant for 3-4 minutes on each side on medium heat to remove most of the moisture. 7. Spread a little of the meat/tomato sauce on the bottom of a 9 x 12 baking pan.
8. Add eggplant in a single layer covering the surface of the pan.
9. Using a spatula or fingers đspread the room temperature ricotta and spinach mixture on to the eggplant.
10. Sprinkle with a layer of shredded Italian blend cheese and top with a layer of meat/tomato sauce. ⢠Repeat this process for about 3 layers.
11. On the last layer add meat sauce after the ricotta mixture and top with shredded cheese for the last layer.
12. Bake for 45 minutes. Let cool for 30 minutes before serving to let everything settle together. ENJOY!đ
đĄTIPS:
* Place the pan on a sheet pan or line oven rack with foil to prevent the sauce from bubbling over while baking... because it will. * If the cheese on the top browns too quickly lightly cover/tent with a piece of foil. DO NOT cover tightly, you want the extra moisture to evaporate. * Light press down on each layer with the back of the spoon when adding meat/tomato sauce. * Let it cool before cutting
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