This rich and cheesy lasagna is sure to be a favorite with your whole family!
Lasagna is certainly a favorite in most households, but for those watching their carbs, it’s a dish to shy away from. Thanks to Eggplant Lasagna though, you can enjoy all the textures and flavors you love in traditional lasagna, without the high-carb pasta! Our Eggplant Lasagna recipe utilizes low-fat cheese to keep it skinny, adds lots of vegetables to increase the nutrient benefits, and omits pasta in favor of eggplant slices so it’s very low in carbs.
Our version is vegetarian, but feel free to add ground turkey or turkey Italian sausage if you want! This rich and cheesy lasagna is sure to be a favorite with your whole family—even the littles!
Eggplant Lasagna
Ingredients
- 24 ounces marinara sauce jar, sugar-free
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 yellow onion medium, sliced
- 1 cup mushrooms minced
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 3 cups spinach chopped
- 3/4 cup ricotta cheese low-fat
- 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese low-fat
- 1/2 cup cottage cheese low-fat
- 2 egg whites
- 1 teaspoon oregano fresh, chopped
- 1 teaspoon basil fresh, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 eggplants large, sliced 1/4 inch thick lengthwise (like a lasagna noodle)
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly spray a 9X13 inch casserole dish with nonstick spray. Spread 1 cup of the marinara sauce on the bottom of the dish.
- In a large skillet, heat olive oil on medium heat. Add onion, mushroom, and salt. Saute until onions are soft and begin to brown. Mushrooms will begin to release water—continue to cook until the water is evaporated. Add the garlic and spinach, cook until wilted. Remove from heat and cool.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine ricotta, 1/2 cup mozzarella, cottage cheese, egg, oregano, basil, and pepper. Combine well.
- In the casserole dish, arrange a single layer of eggplant on top of the sauce. Top with 1/4 cup of the cheese mix followed but 1/4 cup of the cooked vegetables. Repeat until all ingredients have been used; ending with a layer of eggplant on top. Pour remaining marinara on top and spread evenly, Finally, top with remaining mozzarella and parmesan.
- Cover with foil, lightly sprayed with nonstick spray. Bake 20 minutes until cheese is melted. Uncover and cook an additional 10 minutes until cheese is lightly browned. Remove from oven and allow to set for 5 minutes before serving. Slice, serve, and enjoy!
Nutrition Information
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You may also like to try:
Lasagna Stuffed Spaghetti Squash
What’s your favorite way to make lasagna lower in carbs? We’d love to hear from you in the comments!
Hi,
I’m confused by these cooking directions: “Add the garlic and spinach, cook until wilted. Remove from heat and cook.” If you’re removing it from the heat, how can you cook it? Hasn’t it already been cooked? Cook it where exactly? Did you mean to say for the garlic and spinach to COOL?
Kazy, I made the correction, it is cool and not cook. Also, choose the parmesan cheese you like best. 😉
Hi again. Sorry. I understand that this is supposed to be low calorie but Parmesan? There’s no such thing as fresh low fat Parmesan cheese. Only the pre-grated Kraft Parmesan that has preservatives and additives and I’ve only seen used to sprinkle onto a Caesar salad. That kind of “Parmesan” cheese would significantly reduce the wonderful full bodied flavor of a real Parmesan cheese and subsequently reduce the taste of the recipe. And considering it’s only 1/4 cup, you really need the real deal.
This came out very very good. Definitely a keeper. Will be rotating it for sure. I made some changes of course to suit my own personal tastes. Also due to what the store didn’t have. I used Rao’s marinara sauce which makes the best store bought tomato sauce and I’d put it up against any homemade sauce, hands down. I did use frozen spinach. Next time I will use fresh. Couldn’t find low fat ricotta so I used regular and I used a cup of it, not 3/4 cup. I also used a full cup of cottage cheese and 2 eggs, not egg white. I thought the cheese mixture came out a bit thin. I attributed it to either the moist cottage cheese and 1 too many eggs? With that said, it spread better than had it been thicker. I also used fontina cheese instead of mozzarella because it has more flavor than mozzarella. Thanks so much for sharing, Gale.
Hi, I love your feedback and tips! Lately I’ve been using the “Rao’s Marinara” too. I also like their pizza sauce which has no added sugar.
Thank you, again!