Eggplant Lasagna

I've been making so many tasty dished with eggplant lately, it's really very exciting. This eggplant lasagna was really easy and quite delicious. Just one small eggplant can be the perfect portion for 2-4 people in one sitting. I paired this with some creamy risotto and had a delicious dinner.

Ingredients:
- 1 small eggplant
- 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
- 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- salt
- pepper
- dried oregano
- dried parsley
- garlic powder
- dried basil
- crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 jar tomato sauce or home made sauce 
- 3 cups peanut or vegetable oil


To Make:
Begin by slicing the eggplant down the middle and making long strips about 1/4 inch thick. Next, lay out the eggplant and sprinkle generously with salt. Arrange in a colander and cover with a paper towel. Place several heavy objects over top the eggplant to allow excess moisture to drain out. Leave for at least one hour.

In the meantime, you can start making your sauce if you have not already or you can use the store bought sauce.

To Prep the Filling: 
In a large mixing bowl, combine all cheeses and mix together. Next add in 1 tsp of the following: salt, pepper, dried oregano, garlic powder, dried parsley, dried basil and 1/2 tsp of crushed red pepper flakes. Mix well and set aside and room temperature so it's easier to spread.

Once the eggplant has drained, remove each piece and dry again with a paper towel. Do not wash off the salt but make sure the eggplant are as dry as possible.

In a deep pan, add 3 cups of peanut or vegetable oil and heat. Dip in a piece of the eggplant and if it starts to fry, then it's ready.

Gently add in 3-4 pieces of eggplant at a time and fry in the oil for 1-2 minutes on each side. Remove with tongs and allow to drain on paper towels. Repeat until all eggplant is lightly fried.

Using a small glass dish, take one ladel of sauce and spread evenly on the bottom. Line horizontally with a layer of eggplant. Next, spread the entire cheese mixture on this first layer of eggplant. Top with a thin layer of sauce. Begin layering the eggplant vertically this time and layer with a tin layer of sauce. Continue and top with a thick layer of sauce over top. Cover with tin foil and bake at 375 for 45 minutes.

Allow to cool for at least 20 minutes before serving so it will stay together when you cut into it. Enjoy!