Eggplant Polenta Lasagna is a vegetarian lasagna dish made with polenta instead of noodles and eggplant and mushrooms for additional veggie goodness. 15 minutes of prep are all you need to make this delicious lasagna-like dish!
Do you ever impulse-buy something at the grocery store and then not have any idea what to do with it? I do that from time to time, and it always makes me laugh at myself.
That is what happened with this prepared polenta that I bought. I had served polenta before, but it came frozen from Trader Joe’s as part of a prepared side dish. All I had to do was microwave and serve!
So this tube of prepared polenta that I bought on impulse was a completely different animal. It sat in my pantry for a couple of months, because I didn’t have a plan.
One day I was working on a recipe for a lasagna with eggplant, and it hit me that the polenta would make a great addition to that dish! So I put it all together, and it was a huge hit with the family.
The polenta added a nice texture and mild corn flavor that perfectly complimented the eggplant and mushroom flavors and did not overpower the cheese and sauce.
My favorite part of the dish, however, was that I totally skipped the hassle of dealing with lasagna noodles!
Thing 2 is very sensitive to textures in his food, so I did roast the eggplant ahead of time to insure that it would be soft enough in the lasagna, and I also cooked the mushrooms a bit in the microwave for the same reason.
However, if you like your mushrooms to have a little more substance, you can probably skip that step altogether.
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Eggplant Polenta Lasagna
Print RecipeIngredients
- 1 large eggplant (sliced into rounds about 1/4 inch thick)
- 16 ounces ricotta cheese (1 container)
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
- 1 egg
- 16 ounces sliced mushrooms
- 24 ounces marinara sauce (1 jar)
- 18 ounces prepared polenta (1 tube, sliced into rounds about 1/4 inch thick)
- 16 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
- Spray the eggplant rounds with a little olive oil spray, then place on a baking sheet and roast in the oven for about 20-25 minutes.
- While the eggplant is roasting, in a medium bowl combine the ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, and egg.
- Place the mushrooms in a microwave-safe dish and heat about 5 minutes on high, stirring halfway through, to soften them slightly.
- Once the eggplant is done, turn the oven down to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- Spread a little of the marinara sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 casserole pan.
- Place half of the polenta rounds on top of the sauce.
- Spread half of the ricotta mixture on top of the polenta.
- Place half of the eggplant rounds on top of the ricotta mixture.
- Distribute half of the mushrooms on top of the eggplant.
- Sprinkle half of the mozzarella cheese on top of the mushrooms.
- Spread half of the marinara on top of the mozzarella.
- Layer the rest of the ingredients: polenta, ricotta mixture, eggplant, mushrooms, sauce, mozzarella cheese.
- Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for about 15 additional minutes.
Nutrition
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alison
I’m living in Vietnam at the moment, with no access to pre-made polenta, but I do have a package of dry. Can I assume that the pre-made polenta is just that, someone else made and it’s like “day old”? So therefor, I can just make some polenta and then the next day use it in your lasagna recipe? Thanks!
Kristin
I think that is totally worth a shot! Good luck and let me know how it turns out. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!
Teresa
Hi Kristin, I’m featuring your lasagna recipe on my blog this week on Party in Your PJ’s! Thank you for linking up!
Nikki@SoulfullyMade
This looks so delicious! I love polenta and eggplant! Perfect combination.
Teresa
I’ve never tried polenta, but this looks and sounds so good that I think I will! Thank you for sharing it with us at Party in Your PJ’s.
Theresa
This looks tasty! Thanks for sharing at the Inspiration Spotlight party. Pinned and sharing.
Denise
This looks delicious! I love eggplant (the kids don’t lol) I’ve pinned it because I totally plan on making this. Thank you!
judee
What a wonderful idea to use polenta instead of noodles. Perfect for those of us who are gluten free
Winona
My best friend told me about this recipe ages ago. She says it’s even better after it’s been frozen (in freezer Tupperware) and reheated in the microwave. I made the full recipe Tuesday night and its gone tonight. So I’m not sure about the reheated results but I think this is a fantastic recipe and I’ll definitely be making it again! It tastes great on its own! Lots of flavor! Tonight I added a bit of garlic powder and crushed red pepper and I think it suits my taste buds a little more. I’m going to experiment around with the recipe a bit but the natural flavors on their own definitely impressed me (especially since I’m not a huge fan of eggplant). GREAT WORK!
Kristin King
Great idea to add the garlic powder and crushed red pepper! I am so glad you like the recipe, thanks for stopping by to let me know! 🙂
Platter Talk
This is a beautiful eggplant recipe; thanks so much for sharing!
Cécile
Looks beautiful!
I’ve just discovered your blog, and as a working mom just like you, I really appreciate the simplicity of your recipes. I could easily make this for a weeknight dinner and keep leftovers.
Also, your blog title reminds me of when I come home in the evening – Dizzy, Busy and Hungry! 🙂
Kristin King
Hi Cecile! Thanks for your nice compliment about my recipes! Leftovers are a big part of my meal planning as well. It was easier when the kids were little and didn’t eat as much, though! 🙂 Thanks for stopping by, hope you will come back soon!
Diane Balch
I cant have wheat this is great. Pinned.. love Trader Joes too.
Carrie Groneman
This looks SO good! Thanks for linking up at Wonderful Wed Blog Hop. Carrie, A Mother’s Shadow
Clare
I always walk straight past the polenta at the store because I have no idea what it is yet alone how to cook it! This lasagne looks delicious though so I think it’s finally time to give it a try.
shelby
Your lasagna looks delicious! I can’t get Grumpy to eat eggplant though so it is only a treat I can get whe going out!