A rich casserole with layers of eggplant, spiced meat filling, and a creamy béchamel sauce.
Prep Time
45 minutes
Cook Time
1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time
2 hours
Difficulty
Hard
Skills Required
Making Béchamel
Ingredients & Nutrition
600 kcal
Calories
35g
Protein
40g
Fat
25g
Carbs
6g
Fiber
10g
Sugar
800mg
Sodium
- 3 large, sliced Eggplants
- 2 lbs Ground Lamb or Beef
- 1, chopped Onion
- 4 cloves, minced Garlic
- 1 (15 oz) can Canned Crushed Tomatoes
- 1/2 cup Red Wine
- 1 tsp Cinnamon
- 1/2 cup (for béchamel) Butter
- 1/2 cup (for béchamel) Flour
- 4 cups (for béchamel) Milk
- pinch (for béchamel) Nutmeg
- 2 (for béchamel) Egg Yolks
- 1/2 cup, grated (for béchamel) Parmesan Cheese
Equipment Needed
- Baking Sheet
- Skillet
- Saucepan
- Baking Dish
- Whisk
Let AI Suggest Variations
- Use layers of sliced potatoes instead of or in addition to eggplant.
- Make a vegetarian version with a lentil-based filling.
- Add a pinch of allspice to the meat sauce.
- Use zucchini instead of eggplant.
Instructions:
1. Salt the eggplant slices and let them sit for 30 minutes, then rinse and pat dry. Roast or fry until golden.
2. In a skillet, brown the ground meat. Add onion and garlic and cook until soft. Stir in tomatoes, red wine, and cinnamon. Simmer for 20 minutes.
3. To make the béchamel, melt butter in a saucepan, whisk in flour, then gradually whisk in milk. Cook until thick. Remove from heat and stir in nutmeg, egg yolks, and Parmesan.
4. In a baking dish, layer the eggplant and meat sauce. Top with the béchamel sauce.
5. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 45-60 minutes, until golden and bubbly.