Vegetarian Lasagna with Eggplant and Mushrooms

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This vegetarian eggplant lasagna with eggplant and mushrooms is full of Italian flavor and has endless possibilities. This delicious lasagna does not use noodles or meat making it low carb and a nice healthy dinner.

I recommend serving the dish with some pasta on the side, but I’m getting ahead of myself. Whether you’re vegetarian or not, this recipe will please everyone at the dinner table!

About this Lasagna with Eggplant and Mushrooms Recipe

When I first developed this recipe a number of years ago, I was inspired to use ingredients from our garden, specifically eggplant. But I wanted to do something different.

I had been experimenting a lot with cooking mushrooms and onions and garlic which is a great combination, and wanted to use them in the dish.

All the ingredients can be purchased at most local grocery stores. I bought all of mine at Walmart when I made the video. So, no crazy rare ingredients in this recipe!

In this post I’ll explain about the recipe, ingredients needed, and some helpful tips along the way. Make sure to check out my video and recipe further down below for a step-by-step walkthrough.

Recipe Ingredients Notes

Here are the ingredients you’ll need to create this recipe.

Mushrooms – you can use any type. I find that button mushrooms are more economical. However using mushrooms like portabella mushrooms may add a stronger mushroom flavor.

Eggplant – you can use any kind of eggplant. You technically do not need to peel the eggplant, but I often do since it’s hard to find organic eggplant.

Italian herbs – We use a lot of herbs in this recipe. Two tablespoons of dried herbs is a lot, but for this recipe we really want that Italian flavor to come through.

Tomatoes – You can use diced canned tomatoes or a tomato sauce.

Italian cheese – This recipe just simply does not need a lot of cheese to make it taste good.  In fact, too much cheese will detract from the base flavor of the eggplant, mushrooms, onions and herbs. Most of the cheese is on top.

If you’re unsure about using Romano, check out my post on how to buy and grate fresh Romano cheese using a Cuisinart grater disc.  Any food processor would probably work if it has a grater disc.  

How to Make Vegetarian Lasagna with Eggplant and Mushrooms

Here is an overview of how to make this recipe. For specifics use my recipe card found further below. This recipe will make approximately 4-6 servings. To bake in a 13×9 pan, you will need to double the recipe.

1. Slice the eggplant and broil in the oven. I explain how to do this in my video below.
2. Once the eggplant is broiled, set aside and start prepping the other ingredients.
3. Dice the onions and mushrooms and saute them in olive oil in a large saute pan with deep sides. Here is the pan I use and recommend:  5 1/2 quart Cuisinart French Classic stainless steel pan
4. Then add in the delicious Italian herbs and garlic and stir.
5. When most of the liquid is removed from the mushrooms, and onions are translucent, remove from the heat so we can start making the lasagna bake.
6. In a small baking dish (13×9 will be too big unless you double the ingredients). Layer them in the baking dish in this order: eggplant, mushroom/onion mixture, a little cheese, tomatoes or tomato sauce.
7. The last layer should be the eggplant topped with some tomatoes and most of the cheese.
8. Bake the lasagna uncovered for an hour at 375F.

RECIPE TIP! There will still be excess liquid created while baking the lasagna. This is a good thing because we want to use that liquid as a sauce for some pasta on the side!

How this Eggplant Mushroom Lasagna is Different

While I’ve certainly made regular noodle lasagna and eggplant lasagna before, this recipe is different for a few reasons. It’s somewhat like a cross between an eggplant lasagna and an eggplant Parmesan.

1. I don’t smother the ingredients with cheese between layers and I don’t use ricotta or mozzarella which are two primary cheeses in a typical lasagna. 
2. I don’t use noodles like a standard lasagna either.  
3. I saute the mushrooms and onions with the herbs (including garlic) prior to baking the entire lasagna

More Recipe Tips

• You can use either cans of diced tomatoes or sauce if you prefer a more tomatoey sauce, like in a regular lasagna. If you don’t have your own pasta sauce or cans of tomato puree or sauce, just put the diced tomatoes through a blender with a few pulses. You don’t have to worry about seasonings since we’ll be using our own.
• Don’t skip sauteing the mushrooms and broiling the eggplant. You want the excess liquid to be removed from these vegetables before cooking to avoid coming out chewy. The vegetables don’t have to be fully void of moisture since we want to use some of the liquid from baking as a sauce.
• You can use fresh or dried herbs. Either will work great.
• I do not use mozzarella in this recipe. I do not want a stringy texture. In this recipe, less cheese is more. Without the cheese we could even call this a vegan eggplant and mushroom lasagna.

Recipe Variations and Substitutions

Here are four variations you can do with this recipe.

1. Turn it into a vegetarian eggplant lasagna with noodles by adding pasta noodles between the layers.
2. Add in chopped zucchini or spinach. These have lots of liquid so I recommend cooking them with the mushrooms and onions.
3. Omit the cheese and make it vegan, unless you use a plant-based cheese. In this case, even a vegan mozzarella would work.
4. Use a little mozzarella, but not a lot.
5. Use portabello mushrooms

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you keep the eggplant from getting soggy?

You can avoid the eggplant getting soggy by broiling the slices before using them in the bake. This is the reason why we broil the eggplant first.

What is the benefit of a mushroom and eggplant lasagna?

This eggplant and mushroom lasagna bake is a healthier version of a regular eggplant lasagna. It is low calorie, full of veggies, low on dairy, and has no pasta which reduces your carbohydrates.

How to cut the eggplant for a bake or lasagna?

I like to cut my eggplant in round slices, but you can choose to cut them in long slices. There is no difference in flavor.

Should I salt the eggplant?

Salting an eggplant will help to get some moisture out, and salting also helps remove some of the bitterness of the eggplant, especially if it is not young. I do not salt my eggplant for this recipe because it is not needed.

Planning and Storage Recommendations

You can make this lasagna a day in advance if kept in the refrigerator in an airtight container. If you have leftovers, they will last in the fridge for 3-4 days. Since this is a vegetarian lasagna, we don’t have to worry about any meat spoiling, but we do have some dairy due to the cheese.

You can also freeze the lasagna for up to 3 months, although I prefer not to, since this will change the texture of the dish. If you do, let it thaw overnight in the fridge, then bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes until heated through.

Recipes that Go With this Eggplant and Mushroom Lasagna

Other Similar Recipes

I hope you enjoy this recipe. I’d love to hear from you if tried this vegetarian mushroom and eggplant lasagna bake and especially if you made any modifications to make it your own!

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Liz