Restaurant Recipes
Avanti Restaurant Eggplant Lasagna
Yield: 4 large servings, but can easily serve 6 to 8
Ingredients
Lasagna
- 1 large eggplant
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 8 ounces lasagna noodles, cooked
- 6 ounces grated Parmesan cheese (1 cup)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Pesto
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 bunches fresh basil
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 ounces pine nuts (about 1/2 cup)
- 2 ounces grated Parmesan cheese (6 tablespoons)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Tomato Sauce
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 large ripe tomatoes
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Chopped fresh basil, to taste
Instructions
Lasagna
- Prepare grill. Peel and slice eggplant lengthwise into long, thin strips. Brush each side with olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Grill over hot coals, about 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Set aside.
Pesto
- In the bowl of a food processor, combine olive oil, basil, garlic, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese and salt and pepper. Process for 1 minute or until finely chopped. Set aside.
Sauce
- In a medium saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Sauté the garlic for about 1 minute.
- Core the tomatoes and puree in a food processor.
- Add pureed tomatoes to the saucepan and cook over medium heat for 30 to 40 minutes.
- Add salt and pepper and fresh basil to taste.
- To assemble the lasagna, preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease a 13 x 9 inch pan.
- Place 1 layer of lasagna noodles in the bottom of the prepared pan. Top with 1 layer of grilled eggplant. Spread a thin layer of tomato sauce over the eggplant slices, then top with a thin layer of pesto. Repeat this process 3 or 4 times or until no noodles or eggplant remain. Top with grated Parmesan and any remaining tomato sauce. Salt and pepper to taste. Cover tightly with parchment paper and aluminum foil.
- Bake for about 40 minutes.
Attribution
Avanti Restaurant of Distinction, Phoenix and Scottsdale, Arizona