Best 6 Eggplant Spinach Ricotta Bake Recipes
Are you looking for a satisfying and delicious dish that combines the flavors of eggplant, spinach, and ricotta cheese? Look no further than the Eggplant Spinach Ricotta Bake. This delectable casserole is a perfect blend of textures and flavors, featuring tender eggplant slices, wilted spinach, creamy ricotta filling, and a crispy Parmesan crust. It's a versatile dish that can be served as a main course or a hearty side dish, and it's sure to impress your family and friends.
In addition to the main recipe, this article also includes variations to cater to different dietary preferences and tastes. If you're a vegetarian, there's a meatless version that uses crumbled tofu instead of ground beef. For those who love a bit of heat, there's a spicy variation that incorporates chili flakes and diced jalapeños. And if you're looking for a healthier option, there's a lighter version that uses reduced-fat ricotta cheese and whole-wheat bread crumbs.
No matter which recipe you choose, you're sure to enjoy this flavorful and satisfying Eggplant Spinach Ricotta Bake. Its vibrant colors and delightful combination of flavors make it a feast for the eyes and the taste buds. So gather your ingredients, preheat your oven, and let's get cooking!
BAKED EGGPLANT WITH RICOTTA, MOZZARELLA AND ANCHOVY
I learned this dish from a Sicilian cook in a small town outside Palermo. She makes it by layering thinly sliced eggplant with fresh curd cheese and caciocavallo (I use fresh ricotta and provolone instead), as well as pecorino and Parmesan cheese - a bit like a lasagna without pasta. It is quite delicious and unusual in that there is no tomato sauce, as there often is in so many Sicilian baked eggplant dishes. The anchovies, melted into the crisp bread-crumb-and-cheese topping, provide a sharp contrast to the sweetness of the eggplant. I like to serve a tomato salad alongside.
Provided by David Tanis
Categories casseroles, main course
Time 2h
Yield 6 to 8 servings
Number Of Ingredients 13
Steps:
- Heat oven to 375 degrees. Generously oil a 9- by 13-inch baking dish. Season eggplant slices on both sides with salt and pepper. Arrange half the eggplant slices in one layer on bottom of dish, overlapping slices slightly. Drizzle or paint eggplant generously with olive oil. Sprinkle with crushed red pepper to taste and scatter onion slices evenly over surface.
- With a small spoon, distribute the ricotta in little blobs evenly over surface, then arrange half the smoked mozzarella over the ricotta. Sprinkle with 1 cup grated provolone.
- Make another layer of overlapping slices with remaining seasoned eggplant. Drizzle or paint eggplant generously with olive oil. Top surface evenly with remaining smoked mozzarella and provolone, then sprinkle with Parmesan and pecorino. Arrange anchovy fillets over top and sprinkle with bread crumbs.
- Bake uncovered for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until eggplant is quite tender when pierced with a fork and top is crisp and golden. (If top seems to be browning too quickly, tent with foil and reduce heat to 350 degrees.) Remove from oven, dust with oregano and let rest at least 20 minutes before cutting into squares. The dish is best served at room temperature, not piping hot.
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 398, UnsaturatedFat 11 grams, Carbohydrate 12 grams, Fat 27 grams, Fiber 3 grams, Protein 26 grams, SaturatedFat 15 grams, Sodium 908 milligrams, Sugar 5 grams
EGGPLANT SPINACH RICOTTA BAKE
Delicious! Hope you try it!
Provided by Cassie *
Categories Other Main Dishes
Time 55m
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- 1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Cut eggplant into rounds about 3/4 inch thick. Coat front and back with olive oil. Put eggplant on two baking sheets. Add salt & pepper. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes-flipping them half way. Eggplant should be nice and golden brown. While eggplant bakes, mix the ricotta, eggs, spices and 1 cup of Parmesan together in a small bowl. Add some salt & pepper.
- 2. In an oven safe casserole dish, layer the bottom with a bit of the marinara sauce. Add 1 layer of your eggplant on top, a handful of spinach. Then add more sauce, and a layer of ricotta.
- 3. Repeat until you run out of eggplant. Top layer should be remaining spinach, sauce and Mozzarella cheese. In that order. Reduce oven temp to 375. Place the dish in the oven and bake for 20 - 30 minutes, or until desired brownness. The cheese should be melted and the marinara should be bubbly. Let sit for at least 10 minutes before serving. I served with a salad and crusty bread.
EGGPLANT ROLLATINI WITH SPINACH & RICOTTA
These Eggplant Rollatini are stuffed with spinach and ricotta for a lighter and absolutely delicious dinner, they can also be prepped in advance to make weeknight meals even easier and tastier!
Provided by Emily Kemp
Categories Main Course
Time 1h20m
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/350F/. Cut the tops off the eggplant/aubergine then cut into slices around 1cm / 1/4 inch thick. Place on a lined baking tray, brush with a little olive oil (2 tbsp) and bake for 20 minutes until tender. Set aside to cool.
- Meanwhile add half tbsp of olive oil to a frying pan and add the spinach, stir so it doesn't burn until completely wilted. Remove from the pan and let cool.
- To make the tomato sauce, add a tbsp of olive oil to the frying pan. Add the finely chopped shallot and garlic to the pan.
- Sauté for 1 minute then add the chopped tomatoes. Rinse out any excess tomato from the can with 1/4 cup (60ml) water and add it to the sauce alongside the tomato paste, oregano and season with salt and pepper. Let the sauce reduce and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Squeeze out any extra moisture from the wilted spinach then finely chop and add to a large bowl. Add the ricotta, parmesan, nutmeg and a pinch of salt and pepper. Mix everything together until thoroughly combined.
- To assemble the eggplant roll-ups, add a spoonful of ricotta mixture (about a heaped tbsp) in the centre of a slice of eggplant then roll it up. Repeat with the rest of the eggplant and ricotta mixture.
- Add 3/4 of the tomato sauce to the bottom of a baking dish. Arrange the eggplant roll-ups in the baking dish then top with the remaining sauce. Top with mozzarella then bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes until the mozzarella is golden and melted and everything is heated right through.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 289 kcal, Carbohydrate 24 g, Protein 18 g, Fat 16 g, SaturatedFat 8 g, Cholesterol 43 mg, Sodium 314 mg, Fiber 10 g, Sugar 12 g, ServingSize 1 serving
EGGPLANT RICOTTA BAKE
This eggplant ricotta bake satisfies a craving for simple comfort food.
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Food & Cooking Main Dish Recipes Casserole Recipes
Time 1h10m
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Arrange eggplant slices in a single layer on two rimmed baking sheets. Brush lightly on both sides with oil; season with salt and pepper. Roast until eggplant is tender and golden, turning halfway through, 25 to 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together ricotta, eggs, 1/2 cup Parmesan, oregano, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Brush an 8-inch square baking dish with oil.
- Lay a fourth of eggplant slices in bottom of prepared dish; spread with half of marinara sauce. Top with another fourth of eggplant; spread with half of ricotta. Repeat layers, ending with ricotta; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan. Bake until bubbling and golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool 10 minutes before serving.
EGGPLANT BAKE WITH RICOTTA AND SPINACH
Main dish vegetarian eggplant bake, easy because you start with frozen breaded eggplant cutlets and a jar of sauce. Goes great with pasta and a salad.
Provided by Ceil Hook
Categories World Cuisine Recipes European Italian
Time 1h10m
Yield 6
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
- Place eggplant cutlets on a baking sheet.
- Bake on the center rack of the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Flip, and continue to bake until both sides are golden brown and cutlets are cooked through, 6 to 7 minutes more. Remove from the oven and reduce temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- Mix ricotta cheese, spinach, egg, and garlic together in a medium bowl.
- Place 1/2 cup spaghetti sauce in the bottom of an 8-inch square baking dish and layer with 1/2 of the eggplant cutlets, 1/2 of the ricotta mixture, and 1/2 of the remaining sauce. Repeat layers with remaining eggplant, ricotta mixture, and sauce. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over top.
- Bake in the preheated oven until cooked through and bubbling, about 30 minutes.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 406.8 calories, Carbohydrate 36.8 g, Cholesterol 61.3 mg, Fat 21 g, Fiber 6.1 g, Protein 17.9 g, SaturatedFat 7.3 g, Sodium 849.2 mg, Sugar 11.5 g
EASY RICOTTA EGGPLANT MOZZARELLA MARINARA BAKE
This is a recipe that I really do not measure, although I do start with 2 medium eggplants, this is pretty much a recipe that really does not require any measuring you can really put on as much as you wish, I have given the amounts as I think are closest to the amounts that I use when I make this recipe... if you love eggplant as much as we do you will really enjoy this dish. To save time you can bread the eggplants and then place them on a sheet and refrigerate to finish later. Make certain that you have a large cookie or baking sheet to bake them on. You can use purchased or homemade marinara sauce for this, I use my own recipe#136292 . This can be served as a main dish or as a side dish. I can assure you once you make this dish you will make it on a regular basis, it is so good!
Provided by Kittencalrecipezazz
Categories Cheese
Time 45m
Yield 8 eggplant slices
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Set oven to 350 degrees.
- Lightly grease a baking sheet.
- Place flour in a shallow bowl.
- Place the slightly beaten eggs in another bowl.
- Mix the fresh bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese together with black pepper and a pinch of salt, then place the breadcrumb mixture in another bowl (you should have three separate bowls).
- Coat the eggplant slices in flour, then in eggs, then in the bread crumb mixture, patting down with fingers to adhere the crumbs to the eggplants.
- Up to this point you can cover the slices and refrigerate to finish later.
- Heat oil in a large skillet.
- Add in 2 eggplant slices; cook until golden brown (about 5 minutes on each side).
- Transfer to prepared greased baking sheet in a single layer, but close together (if you can't fit all of the slices in one layer then just overlap them).
- Repeat with remaining slices.
- Spread about 2-3 tablespoons ricotta cheese over each eggplant.
- Top each slice with marinara (you do not have to completely cover with sauce) then sprinkle grated mozzeralla on top.
- Bake the slices about 15-17 minutes, or until the cheese melts and the marinara is hot.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 669.3, Fat 29, SaturatedFat 14.8, Cholesterol 158.1, Sodium 1456.2, Carbohydrate 65.5, Fiber 2.9, Sugar 14.2, Protein 35
Tips:
- Choose the right eggplant: Select eggplants that are firm and heavy for their size, with smooth, unblemished skin. Avoid eggplants that are soft, wrinkled, or have brown spots.
- Slice the eggplant evenly: To ensure even cooking, slice the eggplant into uniform rounds or slices. This will help them cook evenly and prevent some pieces from being overcooked while others remain undercooked.
- Salt the eggplant: Salting the eggplant before cooking helps to draw out excess moisture and prevent it from becoming soggy. Be sure to rinse the eggplant thoroughly after salting to remove any excess salt.
- Don't overcrowd the pan: When cooking the eggplant, avoid overcrowding the pan. This will prevent the eggplant from cooking evenly and will result in steamed eggplant rather than roasted eggplant.
- Use a good quality ricotta cheese: The ricotta cheese is a key ingredient in this dish, so be sure to use a good quality cheese. Look for ricotta cheese that is creamy and smooth, with a slightly tangy flavor.
- Season the dish well: Don't be afraid to season the dish well with salt, pepper, and other herbs and spices. This will help to bring out the flavors of the eggplant, spinach, and ricotta cheese.
Conclusion:
Eggplant, spinach, and ricotta bake is a delicious and versatile dish that can be enjoyed as a main course or a side dish. It is a great way to use up leftover eggplant and spinach, and it is also a healthy and satisfying meal. With its creamy ricotta cheese, flavorful roasted eggplant, and fresh spinach, this dish is sure to be a hit with everyone at the table. So next time you're looking for a quick and easy weeknight meal, give this eggplant, spinach, and ricotta bake a try. You won't be disappointed!
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