🍆Eggplant and Bacon Lasagna: Italian Home-Style 🇮🇹

Atsuko

January 16, 2026

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Atsuko

Founder of @Umami Sans Frontières

This eggplant and bacon lasagna is a dish I was served at a friend’s home—and one that immediately made me ask for the recipe. Even my younger daughter, who usually dislikes eggplant, finished every bite, making it a truly memorable meal.❤️ My French friend told me that the recipe was originally taught to her by an elderly Italian woman, which made perfect sense once I tasted it. The key lies in salting the eggplant in advance—a step that takes a little time, but makes all the difference. It helps remove bitterness and brings out a depth of flavor, even with simple ingredients. This lasagna is easy to recreate at home and allows you to fully enjoy the natural richness of eggplant, making it a comforting and satisfying dish.

Expense

💵

Preparation

95 mins

Baking time

30 mins

Rest Time

Ingredients

Cooking time: About 125 minutes

Ingredients:

For 4 people

6–9 sheets of Lasagna Sheets
2–3 large (about 500 g) of Eggplants
About 1½ tsp of Salt (to taste)
2 cloves of Garlic
600–700 ml of Tomato Purée
500 ml of Béchamel Sauce (White Sauce)
(Store-bought is fine)
200 g of Bacon
To taste of Parmesan Cheese or Shredded Cheese
A handful of Fresh Basil Leaves or 1 of Bay Leaf
To taste of Olive Oil
To taste of Black Pepper

How to make it:

🥣 Prepare the Eggplant
1/ Wash the eggplants, trim off the ends, and slice into 7–8 mm thick rounds.
2/ Place a colander over a bowl or container, arrange the eggplant slices, and sprinkle lightly with salt.
3/ Place a plate on top as a weight and let sit for 2–3 hours.
　(Overnight is ideal if you have time.)

🥣 Make the Tomato Sauce
4/ Heat olive oil and finely chopped garlic in a pot. When fragrant, add the tomato purée.
5/ Season with salt and pepper, add basil, cover with the lid slightly ajar, and simmer over low heat for 40 minutes to 1 hour.

🥣 Prepare the Cheese

6 / Finely grate the Parmesan cheese and set aside.(Skip this step if using pre-grated cheese.)

🥣 Remove Excess Moisture from the Eggplant
7/ Gently press the eggplant slices with your hands to release moisture, then pat dry with kitchen paper to remove excess liquid and salt.

🥣 Cook the Eggplant (Choose One Method)

8/ Pan-Fry (Best Flavor – This Is My Preferred Method)

Preheat a frying pan well and add a generous amount of olive oil
Arrange the eggplant slices in a single layer
Cook over medium to medium-high heat
Flip once lightly browned and cook the other side briefly
Transfer to kitchen paper to drain excess oil
※ The eggplant does not need to be fully cooked at this stage

Oven Method (Easy and Good for Large Batches)

Toss the eggplant with 2–3 tablespoons of olive oil
Arrange on a baking tray and loosely cover with aluminum foil
Bake at 200°C for 10–12 minutes
Remove the foil and bake for an additional 5 minutes

🥣 Bacon and Béchamel Sauce
9/ Cook the bacon in a frying pan.

10/ Prepare the béchamel sauce.
　(See separate recipe béchamel sauce / store-bought white sauce is also fine.)

🥣 Assemble the Lasagna
11/ Spread a thin layer of béchamel sauce in a baking dish and arrange the lasagna sheets on top.

12/ Layer bacon, eggplant, and Parmesan cheese, then spoon over tomato sauce and béchamel sauce.

13/ Add another layer of lasagna sheets and repeat.

🥣 Bake
14/ Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for 30–40 minutes, until the top is golden brown.

🌟 Tips for Eggplant Lasagna 🌟

⭐️ Salting the eggplant is the key: Salting the eggplant is what makes this lasagna special. This simple step removes bitterness, prevents excess moisture, and gives the finished dish a deeper, more satisfying flavor.

⭐️ Remove moisture instead of rinsing: A light salting is all you need. Rather than rinsing under running water, simply press or pat the eggplant dry with kitchen paper. This keeps the eggplant’s natural umami while removing excess moisture.

⭐️ Lightly cook the eggplant: The eggplant doesn’t need to be fully cooked at this stage. Since it will continue cooking in the oven, lightly browning the surface is just right.

⭐️ Choose the cooking method that suits you: Eggplant turns out delicious whether pan-fried or oven-baked.
For richer flavor, pan-frying works best (I use two frying pans). If you prefer an easier method or are cooking a larger amount, the oven is a great option. Choose what fits your time and quantity.

⭐️ Simmer the tomato sauce long enough: Because the ingredients are simple, allowing the tomato sauce to simmer a little longer makes a difference. The acidity softens, and the sauce blends beautifully with the béchamel and eggplant.

⭐️ Expect a few extra steps—but better flavor: This recipe involves several steps, from prepping the eggplant to making the sauces, but each one adds depth to the final dish. Taking your time results in a more satisfying lasagna.😊

⭐️ Homemade béchamel makes a difference: Store-bought white sauce works just fine, but if you have the time, homemade béchamel is well worth it. Its aroma and richness lift the entire dish.
👉 How to Make Béchamel Sauce 🩷