Roasted Vegetable Polenta Lasagna

A creative vegetarian twist on lasagna with freshly roasted eggplant and a simple homemade marinara.

If you follow me on Facebook you will know I asked what you guys wanted for a recipe this week and this dish won! Roasted Vegetable Polenta Lasagna, yeah it is as awesome as it sounds. You got your basic food groups: grains, veggies and cheeeeeeese! What would lasagna be without cheese? Why can’t I quit you cheese?

THIS is why I run! Cheese and beer!

Anyways, tI had seen a bunch of polenta lasagnas, so I knew I had to try my own. Have you guys had polenta? It is basically corn grits, sounding all fancy and Italian. Doesn’t polenta have a better ring to it than grits? Yeah everything sounds better in Italian.

I considered adding meat, but I thought a layer of roasted eggplant would do nicely and be all healthy and shit. I mean why add the extra fat especially since polenta is pretty filling and then adding cheese, fughhet-about-it!

Speaking of cheese, this has three- parmigiano reggiano, fontina and fresh mozzarella. Parmegiano Reggiano for saltiness, Fontina for awesome melt-ability (yeah that is totally a word, right?) and Fresh Mozzarella since it looks all pretty!

Now I am not gonna lie guys, this recipe is gonna take a while between roasting the eggplant and making the polenta, BUT it makes a whole lotta food that will last for a while. I have been eating it for three days with my husband.

So you can curse me if you like or you can take some of your own shortcuts and not make your own polenta or marinara like I did. Why do I do this anyways? Because I looooove food and I want to make it MYSELF even though I am gonna be in the kitchen over an hour…

I digress and bring it back to the point….
Not easy. Delicious. Foodgasm. Like Italy got sexy in your mouth.

Yes I went there and I made my favorite marinara from my seXXXy food man crush Fabio Viviani. Yeah I am married, but whatevs. My husband calls him Antonio Sexy Man… and I am like… “His name is Fabio and he is my food husband…” Yes a girl can dream. Anyways here is the recipe!

What you need

roasted vegetables

1 eggplant, sliced vertically
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (to brush on Eggplant slices)

polenta

1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 cups vegetable stock
1 cup polenta
1/4 cup milk
1 tbsp butter
1/2 cup parmeggiano reggiano
1/2 cup fontina

To assemble lasagna

2 cups marinara sauce
5 slices fresh mozzarella
1/2 cup fontina
a little parmeggiano reggiano
6 oz. of part skim ricotta

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 How to make it

1- Preheat oven to 450º
2- Place aluminum foil on baking sheets and brush olive oil on both sides of the eggplant.
3- Arrange eggplant on baking sheet and bake 10 minutes on each side.
4- While it’s baking you can start the polenta… bring the vegetable stock and water to a boil.
5- Once liquid is boiling, gradually add the polenta. Add slow so it won’t clump.
6- Turn down heat and stir and let thicken for about 20 minutes.
7- Add the milk, cheese and butter and stir for another 5 minutes.
8- Pour polenta into a baking pan or fish, 8″x8″ would be perfect!
9- Add a layer of marinara.
10- Plop in the ricotta
11- Lay your roasted eggplant on top
12- Add more marina
13- Add the cheeses.
14- Bake for about 25 minutes or until mozzarella is slighly browned.
15- Let it cool and DIG IN!

Nutritional Information 

Makes 8 nice sized servings!