Roasted Eggplant and Portobello Mushroom Lasagna

Ok, so this is my all time favorite Sunday recipe!  The veggies are nice and crispy and the no boil lasagna noodles are a savor!  I was so hesitant on trying them, especially since I was raised on the "homemade" stuff, but hopefully my Nonna won't see this!

By roasting the eggplant and portobello mushrooms under very high heat for a very short time you bring out the rich earthy flavors of the veggies and when you layer them between some whole milk ricotta (or as my Nonna would say: "Ri-got"), homemade sauce, and piles of fresh shredded mozzarella,  the outcome is nothing short of delicious!!  Savory, yet lightly filling on a lazy Sunday afternoon,which just so happens to pair well with a glass of wine, sweatpants, a sweatshirt, and a good football game on the big screen!

Now, with this recipe, you will need to set aside about 45 minutes to an hour for "salting" the eggplant.  Salting, also known as purging, accomplishes two goals: it pulls out juices that carry bitter flavors, and it collapses the air pockets in the eggplant's sponge-like flesh, which prevents it from soaking up too much oil and becoming all gross and greasy.

Ingredients:

• 2 boxes oven-ready lasagna noodles
• 2 cups whole milk ricotta cheese
• 6 oz spinach (about 6 cups)
• 1 lb mozzarella cheese, shredded (makes 4 cups)
• 1/2 cup Parmigiano Reggiano (the powder kind)
• 5-6 cups homemade Marinara Sauce (if you have to use store bought sauce, go with Prego traditional, about 1 large jar should suffice)
• Roasted Eggplant and Portobello Mushrooms (see below)

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Blend spinach and ricotta in a food processor and set aside.
3. Spread about 1 cup of marinara sauce in the bottom of a 13″ by 9″ baking dish, and arrange 3-4 lasagna noodles over top (you can break some if needed).
4. Spread another 1 cup of sauce over noodles, and add half of the roasted vegetables and 1/3 of the cheese.
5. Top with 3 more noodles, then the spinach/cottage cheese mixture.
6. Repeat with another layer of sauce, vegetables and cheese.
7. Top with noodles, the remaining sauce, the remainder of the mozzarella, plus the parmagiano reggiano, if using.
8. Bake uncovered for 35-45 minutes, and let rest 10 minutes before cutting.

Roasted Eggplant and Portobello Mushrooms

• 2-3 medium sized eggplants
• 4-5 portobello mushrooms (remove the brown fuzz under the mushroom cap)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• Salt

1. Preheat broiler, and arrange a rack at top of the oven. Slice eggplant into 1/4 inch rounds. Sprinkle generously with salt on both sides, and layer in a colander. Let eggplant sit for at least 45 minutes, then rinse with cool water and dry well with paper towels.
2. Slice portobello mushroom caps into 1/3 inch strips. Coarsely chop stems. Toss mushrooms and eggplant with 1/4 cup oil and arrange in a single later on a baking sheet. Broil until soft and charred, flipping after about 4 minutes and cooking about another 3 minutes on the other side.