Dinner · January 15, 2026 · 6 min read

Sausage Eggplant Lasagna

A comforting, vegetable-forward lasagna layered with roasted eggplant, Italian sausage, ricotta, and fresh mozzarella.

I celebrate as a win any meal that includes our children eating vegetables and liking it. This sausage eggplant lasagna has become a staple in our home: delicious comfort food and a beautiful way to introduce another vegetable.

This recipe was inspired by Alex Snodgrass’s eggplant lasagna in The Comfortable Kitchen and adapted for our family.

Ingredients

2 medium eggplants
Extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt
2 tablespoons salted butter
1 pound mild Italian sausage
1 yellow onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
15 ounces whole-milk ricotta
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups freshly shredded Parmesan
16 ounces sliced fresh mozzarella
Fresh or dried thyme
Fresh or dried oregano
Fresh or dried rosemary (optional)
Fresh or dried marjoram (optional)
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
32 ounces marinara sauce
8 ounces pesto or 1 cup homemade pesto (optional)
Fresh basil, for garnish (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°F.
Slice the eggplants lengthwise into medium-thick lasagna noodles.
Arrange in a single layer on sheet pans. Brush both sides with olive oil, season with sea salt, and roast 15–17 minutes, flipping halfway through.
Melt the butter and cook the onion until translucent. Add garlic and sausage; cook until the sausage is browned and crisp. Set aside to cool.
Whisk the eggs with the ricotta. Add Parmesan and the sausage mixture.
Mix in thyme, oregano, lemon juice, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and a dash of sea salt. Add rosemary or marjoram if desired.
Lightly grease a 9×13-inch pan. Layer about 1 cup marinara, eggplant, one-third of the ricotta mixture, and mozzarella.
Repeat the layers until the third layer of mozzarella.
Top with the remaining eggplant, marinara, mozzarella, and optional spoonfuls of pesto.
Bake uncovered at 400°F for 30–40 minutes. Broil for 3–5 minutes until the cheese is crisp, then rest 10 minutes. Garnish with basil and enjoy.

May your day be filled with what is beautiful and good ~ Caitlyn