Eggplant Lasagne

Sauce
1 lb ground lamb
2 tbs olive oil
1/2 diced large onion
4 oz chopped portabello mushrooms
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can Hunts Fire Roasted Spicy Pepper Diced tomatoes
1 can Hunts Fire Roasted Diced tomatoes
1 can Hunts tomato paste
1 cup red wine
3 tbs Italian seasoning
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

Dish
2 large eggplants, peeled & sliced into 1/4" slices
Olive oil
8 oz fresh mozzarella ciliegine
4 oz grated provolone cheese
3 tbs grated parmesian cheese

Prepare Sauce - In a large pan, brown the lamb in olive oil. When browned, add onions, garlic & portobella mushrooms and cook until onions are soft. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for about 30 minutes.

Prepare eggplant - After slicing the eggplant into 1/4" thick slices, put it in a deep bowl or pot of salted water to soak. The salt water pulls the bitterness out of the eggplant. Soak it for at least 30 minutes. The water will be discarded & it will be a purplish green in color.

Then, put a small amount of olive oil in a non-stick pan. Add eggplant slices and cook until somewhat soft. Put softened slice in an olive oil coated baking dish (12" x 15"). After putting a layer of eggplant, put a layer of sauce, and then a layer of cheese. Repeat until all eggplant & sauce is used. Top with remaining cheese. Bake at 350 F until top is golden & bubbly.

Serving Size: Makes 12, 1 - 2 cup servings