Ingredients
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2 large eggplants, peeled, sliced lengthwise into 1/4 inch noodle-like strips
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cooking spray (olive oil spray is best)
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salt and pepper
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2 tablespoons olive oil
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2 onions, chopped
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3 cloves chopped garlic
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1 red pepper, chopped
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1 (16 ounce) package sliced mushrooms
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2 tablespoons italian seasoning (or mix of oregano, basil and thyme)
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1 teaspoon fennel seed
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salt and pepper
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1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (if you dare!)
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1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach
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1 cup red wine or 1 cup vodka
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1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes (for less sugar, 3 chopped roma tomatoes)
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2 cups low-fat ricotta cheese
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2 eggs
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1 1/2 lbs turkey breast or 1 1/2 lbs Italian sausage
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1 (28 ounce) can tomato sauce (or large jar sugar free sauce if you can find it)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Spray cookie sheet, arrange eggplant slices and season with salt and pepper.
- Cook slices 5 minutes on each side.
- Lower oven temp to 375.
- Brown meat, onion and garlic in olive oil for 5 minutes.
- Add red pepper and mushrooms, and cook 5 minutes.
- Add spinach, tomatoes, tomato sauce, spices and wine and simmer for 5-10 minutes.
- Blend ricotta, egg and Green onion.
- Blend together Mozzarella and Parmesan Cheese.
- Spread 1/3 of meat sauce in bottom of 9†x 13†glass pan.
- Layer ½ eggplant slices
- Dollop and Spread ½ ricotta
- Layer 1/3 mozzarella/parmesan mixture.
- REPEAT
- Add last layer of sauce, then mozzarella/parmesan mixture on top.
- Cover with foil and bake at 375 degrees for 1 hour.
- Remove foil and bake or broil another 5-10 minutes until cheese is browned.
- Let it rest 10 minutes before slicing, if you can wait that long!