Baked Three Cheese Eggplant

I decided to be adventurous after having eggplant at Carino's Italian restaurant and loving it. I found this delicious looking recipe at Allrecipes.com and gave it a go. This dish is packed with veggies and flavor. The texture of eggplant is, I think, what gets most people but it really isn't a whole lot different from cooked zucchini or squash. At the end of the day I decided that we wouldn't be making this one again because it is a lot more work and too similar to the Skillet Summer Vegetable Lasagna we love so much. But it is an excellent dish and worth a go.

Thanks to Allrecipes.com for the recipe and picture which can be found at this site here: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/baked-three-cheese-eggplant/detail.aspx

BAKED THREE CHEESE EGGPLANT
From Allrecipes.com
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• 1 eggplant, sliced into 1/2 inch rounds
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, or as needed
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder, or to taste
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 small tomatoes, chopped (I used 1 (14.5 oz) can of diced tomatoes)
• 1 (10 ounce) package fresh spinach leaves (I promise they will drastically reduce in size)
• 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
• 3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
• 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
• 3/4 cup Classico® Tomato and Basil Sauce
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Brush eggplant slices with olive oil on both sides, and place them on a baking sheet. Sprinkle garlic powder over the top. Bake for 10 minutes.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, tomatoes and spinach. Cook and stir for a few minutes until fragrant, and the tomatoes have released their juices. In a medium bowl, mix together 1/2 cup of ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese, and 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese. Set aside.
3. Place the eggplant slices in a greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Top with the spinach mixture. Spoon the cheese mixture over the spinach, and spread into a thin layer. Pour the pasta sauce over the cheese layer. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese over the top. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning.
4. Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until heated through and the eggplant is easily pierced with a fork.