Easy slow cooker eggplant lasagna recipe, homemade with simple ingredients. Loaded with layers of eggplant slices, marinara sauce, ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan cheese and noodles.
Want to Save This Recipe?
Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from Slow Cooker Foodie
Eggplant does not get enough credit in the culinary world, in my opinion. If you have never given it a chance, then this recipe is the best introduction to it you can get. It's layered with all the goodness of traditional lasagna, plus the bonus flavors of hearty, delicious aubergine. This Slow Cooker Lasagna Soup is another delicious twist on a classic dish.
Jump to:
How To Make Slow Cooker Eggplant Lasagna Recipe From Scratch?
- Salt eggplant slices- Then rinse and pat them dry.
- Make cheese mixture-This should be rich and creamy.
- Assemble in crockpot- With layers of marinara sauce, noodle strips, cheese mixture, eggplants and shredded cheese.
- Cover- And cook.
- Add more cheese- I used a combination of mozzarella and parmesan.
- Cover- And cook.
- Garnish- With fresh parsley or basil.
What sides to serve with Italian vegetarian eggplant lasagna?
You can't go wrong with more vegetables alongside this dish since it is a heavier recipe. Try these Slow Cooker Glazed Carrots. Salads, especially Caesar salad or even a pasta salad work very well. Roasted vegetables taste great alongside this dish too. You can also serve it with bread such as: Breadsticks, dinner rolls, garlic bread, crusty ciabatta bread and even biscuits.
Variations for crockpot aubergine lasagna
- Vegan version- Use vegan cheeses instead of dairy based cheeses.
- Saute eggplant- On the stovetop first before adding to the slow cooker for more flavor. If you are short on time, feel free to skip this step.
- Add meat- Just note that the meat must be cooked before adding to the lasagna.
- Low carb version- Omit the lasagna strips and add more cheese. Note that the cooking time will be shorter.
- Use roasted eggplants- Roast the slices in the oven before adding it to the slow cooker. This adds yet another layer of flavor.
- Use fried eggplants- Batter and fry the the slices before layering it in the crockpot.
- Add other vegetables- Such as frozen spinach. Make sure to drain the excess water from the spinach first.
- Eggplant zucchini version- Add slices of zucchini along with the eggplant for added nutrition and flavor.
- Make it spicy- Add ¼ teaspoon red chili flakes for mild heat.
- Add other seasonings- Such as Greek, Cajun, or even Mexican seasoning.
- Add other cheeses- Such as asiago or provolone.
- Add mushrooms- For an even heartier version of this dish.
- Replace some of the marinara sauce with meat sauce- Use this Slow Cooker Bolognese Sauce recipe.
- Add pesto- Between every few layers, spread some pesto sauce. You can also replace marinara sauce with pesto sauce for a completely different flavor.
Tips and Techniques
- Don't use whole wheat or gluten-free lasagna strips- The cooking times will be different for those kinds of pasta strips.
- You cannot use noodles instead of lasagna strips- Because they will over-cook in the slow cooker.
- Do you peel eggplant? No, the peel holds it all together so it doesn't fall apart in the slow cooker.
- Why is my lasagna watery? How to fix it? If you don't salt and pat dry the eggplant slices, it can become too watery. Do not skip this step! If it is too watery, continue cooking the lasagna with the lid off to evaporate some of the liquid or bake it uncovered in the oven for a few minutes.
- Why is my lasagna dry? How to fix it? Make sure to add all of the marinara sauce and cheese in order to prevent the lasagna from drying out. Also, don't over-cook the lasagna because this will also dry it out.
- Spray the bottom of the crockpot with oil- Because this ensures that the lasagna doesn't stick to the bottom and burn.
- What size slow cooker to use? I recommend a 6 quart or larger. Anything smaller would not make for a beautiful presentation.
- How to know when lasagna is done? It's ready when noodles are softened and cooked through and cheese is fully melted.
- Homemade marinara sauce vs. Store-bought sauce- Either can be used.
- Use full fat cheeses- For maximum richness and creaminess.
- Adjust amount of garlic and Italian seasoning- Add more or less to your liking.
Recipe FAQs
You can either cut it in long thin strips or cut it in circles. I prefer circles because it is easier to serve this way. Place the eggplant on a cutting board and cut off the edges and discard them. Then, use a sharp knife to cut even slices that are about half inch thick.
Start with a layer of sauce, noodles, cheese mixture, and then eggplant. Then a layer of sauce, noodles, cheese mixture, and then shredded cheese. Then a layer of eggplant, sauce, cheese, noodles, and sauce. Finally, top it off with another layer of shredded cheese.
Salting it draws all of the excess water out of the aubergine so that it doesn't get soggy and water down the lasagna. Yes, salt both sides to remove as much of the water as possible.
Yes, rinse it or else the dish will be way too salty.
Storage
- Refrigerate- In a sealed container for up to 2 days.
- Freeze- You can freeze individual slices of the lasagna by wrapping them in plastic wrap and then storing them in a freezer bag or container for up to 2 months.
- Reheat- Thaw in the refrigerator, and then reheat in the oven or microwave.
More slow cooker pasta recipes
- Slow Cooker Creamy Tomato Pasta
- Slow Cooker Pasta
- Slow Cooker Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo
- Slow Cooker Mac And Cheese
- Slow Cooker Chicken Pesto Pasta
- Slow Cooker American Goulash
Recipe
Slow Cooker Eggplant Lasagna
Want to Save This Recipe?
Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from Slow Cooker Foodie
Ingredients
Eggplant layer
- 1 Eggplant Large, Cut into ½ inch thick round slices
- Salt As needed
Ricotta cheese layer
- 1 container Ricotta cheese 15 oz. container, Full fat
- 2 cloves Garlic Finely minced
- Salt To taste
- Pepper To taste
- 2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 2 tablespoon Parmesan cheese Full fat, Shredded
- 2 tablespoon Mozzarella cheese Full fat, Shredded
- 1 Egg Large
Noodle & Tomato layer
- 4 cups Marinara sauce
- 9-10 Lasagna noodles Broken
- 1 cup Mozzarella cheese Full fat, Shredded
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese Full fat, Shredded
Instructions
- Arrange the eggplants slices as single layer on a baking tray.
- Sprinkle a little salt on top of all the slices and keep aside for 10 minutes.
- Then, flip the slices and repeat the process.
- Rinse the eggplant slices with water and dry them gently with paper towels.
- In a small mixing bowl, add ricotta cheese, garlic, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, egg and mix until combined.
- Spray the slow cooker (6 quart or larger) with oil.
- Add about 1 cup marinara sauce and spread it out evenly, using the back of a spoon.
- Add a single layer of broken lasagna noodles.
- Spread half the ricotta cheese mixture as evenly as possible on top of the noodles.
- Top it off with a layer of eggplant slices. It's okay if they overlap.
- Add 1 cup marinara sauce and spread it out as evenly as you can.
- Add another layer of broken lasagna noodles.
- Add remaining ricotta cheese mixture and spread it out.
- Sprinkle ¼ cup of the mozzarella cheese and ¼ cup of the parmesan cheese.
- Add another layer of eggplant slices.
- Add 1 cup of marinara sauce and spread it out as evenly as you can.
- Sprinkle another ¼ cup of the mozzarella cheese and ¼ cup of the parmesan cheese.
- Add another layer of broken lasagna noodles.
- Add final 1 cup marinara sauce and spread it out as evenly as you can.
- Cook on High heat for 2 to 2.5 hours or on Low heat for 4-5 hours or until noodles are softened and cooked through.
- In the final 15-20 minutes, sprinkle the remaining mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese.
- Cover and let it continue cooking until cheese is fully melted.
- Garnish with roughly chopped fresh parsley or basil. Enjoy!
Notes
- Read all my tips above.
- Leftovers can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 2 days and reheated in the microwave.
Nutrition
An automated tool is used to calculate the nutritional information. As such, I cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information provided for any recipe on this site.
Leave a Reply