Discover how to prepare the delectable "Greek Style Lamb and Eggplant Lasagna," a dish that harmoniously blends the flavors of the Mediterranean. This hearty and flavorful dish showcases tender lamb, succulent eggplant, and rich béchamel sauce, all layered between sheets of pasta. The enticing aroma of oregano, thyme, and other aromatic herbs will fill your kitchen as you prepare this mouthwatering casserole. The perfect balance of textures and flavors will tantalize your taste buds and transport you to the idyllic shores of Greece.
Check out the recipes below so you can choose the best recipe for yourself!
MAMA'S OH-SO-SAVORY LAMB AND EGGPLANT CASSEROLE
The basis of this recipe came from my 4th grade teacher's mother who was Armenian, and I've been making it for over 50 years. It is easy to put together, but the longer the stovetop step simmers, the better the casserole will be when served. Leftovers are yummy! You could serve this over rice, if you like, with a green salad. I just serve it in pasta bowls with crusty bread, butter, and a nice glass of red wine. Enjoy!
Provided by MAMA2EANDJ
Categories Meat and Poultry Recipes Lamb Ground
Time 2h35m
Yield 4
Number Of Ingredients 18
Steps:
- Place eggplant in a colander set in a bowl or the sink; sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and toss to coat. Let eggplant stand for at least 1 hour. Rinse off the bitter liquid and excess salt and drain well.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in onion and celery; cook and stir until onion has softened and turned translucent and celery is fragrant, about 5 minutes.
- While vegetables are cooking, combine ground cumin, oregano, rosemary, paprika, mint, salt, and black pepper in a small bowl or mortar and pestle and mix well; this is the lamb seasoning (see Cook's Note). Set seasoning aside.
- Stir eggplant cubes and garlic into the vegetables in the skillet, mixing well, and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Add chopped tomatoes and sprinkle with half of the lamb seasoning mixture. Reserve remaining seasoning. Stir gently and cook for 5 minutes more.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a 2-quart casserole dish.
- Pour chicken broth and half the can of tomato sauce into the skillet and simmer for 10 minutes; add a little water if the sauce starts to get dry. Transfer the sauce to the prepared casserole dish.
- Return the skillet to the stove over medium-high heat and heat the reserved tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Place ground lamb into skillet and sprinkle with remaining seasoning mixture. Brown lamb in the hot oil, stirring frequently, until the meat is evenly browned; it should look like imperfect meatballs.
- Gently transfer the lamb to the casserole dish, pushing it down into the vegetable mixture so that it is at least partially submerged. Stir fresh lemon juice into the remaining tomato sauce and pour the sauce over the casserole.
- Bake uncovered for 45 minutes to 1 hour, depending upon how tender you like your vegetables.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 384.6 calories, Carbohydrate 22.6 g, Cholesterol 77.2 mg, Fat 23.2 g, Fiber 8.4 g, Protein 24 g, SaturatedFat 7.5 g, Sodium 1471.2 mg, Sugar 12.2 g
LAMB AND EGGPLANT PASTITSIO
Steps:
- Make lamb sauce:
- Cook onion in oil in a 4-quart heavy pot over moderately low heat, stirring, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add lamb and sauté over moderately high heat, stirring and breaking up lumps, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, salt, oregano, cinnamon, sugar, and pepper and sauté, stirring, 2 minutes.
- Stir in eggplant and tomatoes and gently simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until eggplant is just tender, about 40 minutes. Remove lid and simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce is thickened, about 15 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper.
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Make cheese sauce and cook pasta while lamb sauce is simmering:
- Melt butter in a 2-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, then stir in flour and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Whisk in milk and add garlic clove and whole clove, then bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Reduce heat and simmer, whisking occasionally, 5 minutes. Add feta, salt, and pepper and cook, whisking vigorously, until cheese is well incorporated.
- Beat eggs in a large bowl and gradually add sauce to eggs, whisking.
- Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until just al dente, then drain in a colander. Toss half of pasta with lamb sauce and half with cheese sauce.
- Assemble pastitsio:
- Pour pasta with lamb sauce into a wide shallow 3-quart baking dish, spreading evenly. Spoon pasta with cheese sauce on top, spreading evenly.
- Bake pastitsio, uncovered, in middle of oven until bubbling and top is golden, 25 to 30 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
GREEK-STYLE LAMB AND EGGPLANT LASAGNE
Steps:
- Cut eggplant lengthwise into 1/3-inch-thick slices and sprinkle slices on both sides with salt. Arrange eggplant in a large colander and weight it with a heavy bowl. Drain eggplant 1 hour. Remove bowl and pat eggplant dry.
- Set broiler rack so that eggplant will be about 4 inches from heat and preheat broiler.
- Arrange eggplant in one layer in oiled shallow baking pans and brush with oil. Broil eggplant until golden, about 3 minutes on each side.
- Make meat sauce:
- In a large heavy non-stick skillet cook onions and garlic in oil over moderate heat, stirring, until softened. Add lamb and cook, stirring to break up, until it is no longer pink, about 3 minutes. Stir in remaining meat sauce ingredients and salt and pepper to taste and simmer, uncovered, 30 minutes. Meat sauce may be made 3 days ahead, cooled completely, and chilled, covered.
- Make white sauce while meat sauce is cooking:
- In a heavy saucepan melt butter over moderately low heat and whisk in flour until smooth. Cook roux, whisking, 3 minutes. Whisk in milk in a stream and salt and pepper to taste and simmer, whisking occasionally, 5 minutes, or until thick. Whisk in egg, whisking vigorously, and simmer sauce, whisking, 1 minute. White sauce may be made 2 days ahead and chilled, its surface covered with plastic wrap.
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Pour 1 cup meat sauce into a flame-proof baking dish, 13 by 9 by 2 inches (sauce will not cover bottom completely), and cover with 3 lasagne sheets, making sure they do not touch each other. Spread about 1 1/2 cups meat sauce over pasta and arrange 1 layer broiled eggplant on top. Gently spread about 1/2 cup white sauce over eggplant and sprinkle with about 1/3 cup feta. Make 2 more layers in same manner, beginning and ending with pasta. Spread remaining white sauce evenly over top pasta layer, making sure pasta is completely covered, and sprinkle with remaining feta.
- Cover dish tightly with foil, tenting slightly to prevent foil from touching top layer, and bake in middle of oven 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake lasagne 10 minutes more, or until top is bubbling.
- Set broiler rack so that lasagne will be about 4 inches from heat and preheat broiler.
- Broil lasagna 1 to 2 minutes, or until golden. Let lasagne stand 5 minutes before serving.
LAMB, FETA AND EGGPLANT (AUBERGINE) LASAGNA
This is well worth the effort to make, it's a fabulous dish! to save time the lamb sauce and the white sauce can me made up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated. The best canned tomatoes and sauce will make a difference to the meat sauce, so try and purchase a good quality product for this recipe and of coarse all recipes! If you are not a feta lover then substitute mozzarella cheese for the feta. The recipe states 12 lasagna noodles, I usually cook a couple more just in case a couple tear while boiling.
Provided by Kittencalrecipezazz
Categories Lamb/Sheep
Time 2h45m
Yield 6-8 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 23
Steps:
- Grease a 13 x 9-inch baking dish.
- Sprinkle both sides of the eggplant slices with salt and pepper, then place the slices in a large colander, then weight it down with a heavy bowl, let drain about 1 hour.
- Remove from the colander and pat slices dry.
- Heat the oven to broiler heat and place rack 4 inches from heat.
- Arrange the eggplant slices in one layer on a baking sheet and brush with oil.
- Broil eggplant slices until golden (about 3 minutes).
- To make the lamb meat sauce (this can be made up to 2 days ahead) In a large skillet or a heavy bottomed pot heat olive oil, then add in onions, garlic, oregano and chili flakes; sauté for about 3-4 minutes or until softened.
- Add in lamb and cook stirring until the lamb is no longer pink (about 5-6 minutes).
- Add in tomatoes with juice, tomato sauce, paste, cinnamon, allspice, seasoning salt and pepper; simmer uncovered for about 1-1/4 hours, breaking up the tomatoes with a wooden spoon and stirring occasionally.
- To make the white sauce; in a heavy saucepan melt butter over medium-low heat, then whisk in flour until smooth; cook whisking for 3 minutes.
- Slowly add/whisk in half and half cream and cayenne (if using) whisking continuously until thick (about 4-5 minutes).
- Add in egg, whisking vigorously and simmer whisking for 1 minute.
- Add in Parmesan cheese and season with salt and pepper (this sauce can be made, cooled to room temperate covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated up to 2 days ahead).
- Set oven to 375°F.
- Pour about 1 cup of the lamb sauce into the bottom of the 13 x 9-inch dish (the sauce will not cover bottom completely).
- Cover the sauce with 3 cooked lasagna noodles, make certain they DO NOT touch each other.
- Spread about 1-1/2 cups meat sauce over the lasagna sheets.
- Top with 1-2 broiled eggplant slices over the noodles.
- Gently spread about 1/2 cup white sauce over the eggplant, then sprinkle with about 1/3 cup finely crumbled feta cheese.
- Make 2 more layers in the same manner, beginning and ending with the lasagna sheets.
- Spread the remaining white sauce evenly over the top pasta layer, making certain that the pasta is completely covered.
- Top/sprinkle with remaining feta cheese.
- Cover the dish tightly with foil, tenting slightly to prevent foil from touching the top layer.
- Bake (second-lowest oven rack) for about 30 minutes.
- Remove foil and bake for about 10-15 minutes more, or until the top is bubbling.
- Remove and set oven to broiler heat.
- Delicious!
GREEK LAMB AND FETA LASAGNA
From Cooking Light Magazine. This recipe mixes lamb with beef so the lamb flavor won't overpower the dish. If assembling ahead, sprinkle with feta cheese just before baking.
Provided by DailyInspiration
Categories Lunch/Snacks
Time 1h35m
Yield 9 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 17
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion and next 4 ingredients (through beef); cook 14 minutes or until lamb and beef are browned, stirring to crumble. Add stock to pan; cook 3 minutes. Stir in salt, pepper, and tomatoes. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer 4 minutes, scraping pan to loosen browned bits.
- Combine ricotta and rind in a small bowl. Spread 1 tablespoons ricotta mixture over one side of each lasagna noodle.
- Spread 2 cups tomato mixture in bottom of an 11 x 7-inch glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange 3 lasagna noodles, ricotta side up, over tomato mixture; top with 2 cups tomato mixture. Repeat layers twice, ending with 2 cups tomato mixture. Sprinkle evenly with feta cheese. Cover with foil and bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes. Remove foil; let stand 10 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley.
Tips:
- To save time, use pre-cooked eggplant slices or roasted red peppers from a jar.
- If you don't have any fresh herbs on hand, use 1 teaspoon of dried oregano and 1/2 teaspoon of dried thyme instead.
- Feel free to adjust the amount of cheese to your liking. You can also use a different type of cheese, such as feta or mozzarella.
- If you don't have any lasagna noodles, you can use penne or ziti pasta instead.
- Serve the lasagna with a side of garlic bread or a simple green salad.
Conclusion:
This Greek-style lamb and eggplant lasagna is a delicious and hearty meal that is perfect for a special occasion. It is also a great way to use up any leftover lamb you may have. The combination of flavors and textures in this dish is sure to please everyone at the table. So next time you are looking for a unique and flavorful lasagna recipe, give this one a try. You won't be disappointed!
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