Moussaka is a lovely dish for getting more veggies into your meal. Moussaka is a nice deviation from lasagna. I make my moussaka the way I make lasagna; instead of using pasta, moussaka is layered with eggplant and potatoes. Once baked…moussaka offers the same comforting and cheesy taste. I decided to skip on the meat because I think it’d be nice to have a vegetarian meal once in a while.
For the latest New Lifestyle Home Cooking:
Moussaka
Serves: 6 Portions
Prep Time: 30 Minutes
Total Time: 2 Hours 30 Minutes
Ingredients:
For Vegetable Ragu:
4 tablespoon canola oil
2 cups diced onions, medium dice
2 cup diced carrots, medium dice
2 cup diced celery, medium dice
1 head garlic, sliced
2 cups cooked chickpeas
2 cups crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoon thyme
2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried chilis
1 teaspoon black pepper
For Moussaka:
2 medium sized eggplant, cut to 1/2 inch thick
2 cups sliced potatoes, 1/16 inch thick
2 cups ricotta, seasoned with salt + black Pepper
4 cups shredded Mozzarella
- First, slice eggplant to 1/2 inch thick, lay them on a tray with a parchment paper or on a rack, season with salt on both sides and let sit for 1 hour to extract moisture.
- Toss eggplant with about 2 tablespoons of EVOO and roast in 400F oven until soft. Set aside
- To make the veggie ragu, heat up oil in a pot on medium-high heat, cook onions, carrots, and celery until soften. Season with salt, black pepper, and dried chilies.
- Add thyme and cook until fragrant, and then add chickpeas and crushed tomatoes. Bring the ragu to a simmer. Set aside
- Pre-heat oven at 400F
- Meanwhile, slice potatoes and gently poach potatoes until soft, but not falling apart.
- Season ricotta with salt and black pepper until tasty.
- To assemble the moussaka, brush the casserole with EVOO.
Assemble moussaka in an orderly fashion; layer ingredients in order of eggplant, vegetable ragu, ricotta, mozzarella, and cooked potatoes. Finish the top layer with ricotta and mozzarella. Bake the casserole in 400F for 30 minutes to 1 hour until nice and bubbly. - Rest the casserole for another 15 minutes and serve…Bon Appétit!