Rich and tomatoey bolognese sauce baked between sheets of smokey eggplant in place of pasta sheets- think of this as a cross between parmigiana and lasagna. Lasagiana? Plus, with kangaroo mince, cottage cheese and a few eggs to keep it all together, this comforting bake tastes indulgent and is loaded with protein (a whooping 58.8g per serve!)
Let’s break it down. Eggplant sheets instead of lasagna? The smokiness of the eggplant brings so much flavour, and baking the eggplant sheets before assembling the lasagna makes the eggplant deliciously fleshy; it makes the perfect substitute for pasta sheets.
Now about that kangaroo mince… these critters are so cute they’re a national icon, but they’re also pretty tasty, and they’re a great source of lean protein! Here’s a quick rundown for those feeling uneasy about eating our bouncy friends:
How does it taste? It game-y, it’s similar to beef but a bit meatier. Kangaroo is a lot leaner so it’s not as tender as beef, but as mince- the difference in taste and texture is minimal. Don’t knock it ’til you try it! But if you can’t get your hands on any kangaroo mince, regular beef or pork mince will suffice for this recipe.
As for the cottage cheese– I have found that cottage cheese combined in with the bolognese sauce makes a decently creamy substitute for ricotta. Dolloped onto the top layer of the lasagna, cottage cheese also browns nicely in the oven.
Another nice little protein addition is the eggs– this is traditionally used in lasagna to keep the ‘cakey’ consistency and to help keep the layers all stacked on top of each other. Make sure to mix it in well to avoid any eggy lumps in the final product.
Here’s the recipe below, get ready for some delicious, saucy lasagna minus the carb coma!
Keto Eggplant Lasagna
Equipment
- Measuring spoons
- Kitchen knife
- Chopping board
- Baking tray
- Baking paper
- Large skillet
- Wooden spoon
- Baking dish / aluminium tray
Ingredients
Bolognese Sauce
- 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large onion- roughly diced
- 2 cloves garlic- minced
- 1 kg kangaroo mince or ground beef / veal / red meat of choice
- 400 ml diced tomatoes equates to 1 standard can of diced tomatoes
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tbsp dried oregano
- 1 pinch salt & pepper to taste
To Assemble Lasagna
- 3 large eggplants
- 500 grams cottage cheese
- 3 large eggs
To Garnish
- 1 pinch chilli flakes
- a few sprigs of fresh parsley
- a handful of basil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180º C
- Slice eggplants lengthways into thin sheets- roughly 1cm thick
- Place eggplant 'sheets' onto baking trays lined with non-stick baking paper and lightly salt. Do careful not to let any sheets overlap. Roast for 15 minutes or until softened
Bolognese Sauce
- While eggplant is roasting, heat up 1/2 a tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat. Add chopped onions and stir for 1-2 minutes until slightly transparent
- Add the crushed garlic and cook for another minute
- Increase heat to high, add the kangaroo mince and stir to combine with onions & garlic. Break the mince up with a wooden spoon to ensure there are no clumps. Add a pinch of salt & pepper. Cook for 5 minutes or until browned
- Add 1 can of diced tomatoes and 2 tbsps of tomato paste. Stir through and reduce heat to medium
- Add thyme and oregano. Leave to simmer uncovered for 5-8 minutes, stirring occasionally. The bolognese sauce should reduce down slightly.
- In the meantime, take out eggplant sheets to cool
- Take the bolognese sauce off heat and leave to cool for 5 minutes
Assembling the Lasagna
- Add 3/4 of the cottage cheese and 3 eggs to the bolognese sauce, and mix to combine
- In a large baking dish, place down eggplant sheets to form the first layer
- Spoon on a layer of bolognese sauce
- Repeat, creating roughly 3 layers of eggplant sheets/bolognese sauce
- Add the remainder of the cottage cheese in dollops, on top of the last layer
- Place baking dish in oven and bake for 20 minutes
- Take out lasagna and leave to cool for 15 minutes. Garnish with roughly torn parsley and basil, and sprinkle with chilli flakes of desired
- Serve and enjoy!
Nutrition
1 Comment
Paleodebcooks
January 3, 2020 at 9:07 amYummm!