This light and easy recipe is kid-friendly and looks a lot like lasagna. It is perfect for the bag of small to medium eggplants you receive as part of your Plant it Forward farm share.
Pre-heat oven to 375° F.
Bottom layer:
- 4-6 small eggplants, cut into small pieces (skin on or off, as your family prefers)
- 3 cloves minced garlic
- 1 medium onion, chopped into small pieces
- Cooking spray
- 1 cup of marinara (take it from the sauce you buy for the fourth layer)
Second layer:
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 16 oz ricotta cheese
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
Third layer:
- 2 cups panko-style breadcrumbs
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Fourth layer:
- 1 large jar (36 oz) Classico Fresh Basil marinara sauce (use 1 cup in bottom layer and rest in fourth layer)
Fifth layer:
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/4-1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Spray a non-stick skillet with cooking spray or olive oil and saute the eggplant, onion and garlic until nicely browned. Add one cup of marinara to the vegetables.
Spray a 13 x 9-inch baking dish with cooking spray and layer the cooked vegetables and marinara first.
Mix the ricotta cheese with spices and egg. Drop spoonfuls of the ricotta cheese mixture over the vegetable in the casserole dish. Gently spread the dots of ricotta together. 
Scatter the panko-style bread crumbs over the ricotta, then scatter the first cup of mozzarella over the breadcrumbs. Pour the marinara over the mozzarella.
Cover the casserole with foil and bake 375° for 30-35 minutes. Remove the foil, scatter the second cup of Mozzarella and the Parmesan cheese over the top of the casserole and bake uncovered 10 minutes more.
Serve hot with a fresh salad and crusty bread. Delicious as leftovers for work or school, but best when re-heated.
Serves 8-12.