Easy Cheesy Eggplant Gratin
This dish is straight up comfort. Spicy Italian sausage, ricotta, wheels of tender roasted eggplant and stretchy gooey mozzarella all come together for a bubbling warm satisfying bite. Whether you think of it as lasagna without the noodles or gratin with eggplant—it doesn’t matter—put this down in front of a crowd on a cool fall evening and let ‘em have at it. What’s even better is that it comes together with ease and it can also be made ahead of time and popped into the oven to warm up. I serve mine with a radicchio salad, a good Pinot Nero and great company.
PS Change Up: Make this dish vegetarian and swap the spicy Italian sausage for one 15 oz can of chickpeas and add another half tablespoon of Italian seasoning.
Serves 6-8
INGREDIENTS
2 globe eggplants, trimmed and cut into ½” rounds
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp kosher salt
½ tsp black pepper
8 oz Italian sausage, casings removed
1 tbsp Italian seasoning
2 cups marinara sauce
1 cup ricotta
¼ cup freshly grated pecorino
12 oz fresh mozzarella, grated
¼ cup basil, for garnish
METHOD
Preheat oven to 400F.
Brush eggplant with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast in oven for 20-25 minutes or until tender. Remove from oven and set aside.
In a skillet with high sides over medium heat, add Italian sausage and Italian seasoning. Use a wooden spoon to break up into pieces and cook until golden brown. Add marinara sauce and stir to combine. Simmer for 8-10 minutes or until warmed through and thickened a bit. Remove from heat and stir in ricotta.
To assemble, lay one layer of eggplant to the bottom of a 2-quart casserole or gratin dish. Add ½ of the sauce, then follow with ½ of the mozzarella. Repeat the layers. Sprinkle top with pecorino.
Bake for 15-20 minutes. Finish under broiler for 3-4 minutes, watching closely, until cheese is bubbling and golden brown in spots. Remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes. Garnish with basil leaves and serve.
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