Have you eaten Greek Moussaka Lasagna? A Mediterranean classic with a touch of Italian fusion. Sliced eggplant layered between sheets of Lasagna and a tomato-based meat sauce covered in a creamy béchamel is the perfect holiday meal.
When it comes to fusion cooking, combining the culinary traditions of two regions can lead to delicious results. One such fusion dish that stands out is the Greek Moussaka Lasagna.
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The layers in this dish
This traditional Greek casserole consisting of distinctive layers of eggplant, minced meat and luscious béchamel sauce is introduced to the other side of the Mediterranean, Italy. Similar to its Greek counterpart, the layered sheets of pasta, cheese and marinara sauce have its own unique flavor.
Thanksgiving is almost here, and what a better way to celebrate than with this eggplant casserole fusion. We decided to take a break from the regular turkey and stuffing, and opted for this Greek Eggplant Lasagna instead.
Traditionally made with beef or lamb mince, we went with beef and decided to do three-layers of Lasagna sheets and meat sauce. The creamy béchamel was the icing on top, and charred eggplants were the perfect plate to hold this dish together. Sprinkle Italian seasoning, pop open a bottle of red wine, and there you have it, Happy thanksgiving!
This fusion recipe is good for 8 to 10 people and I doubt you will have leftovers. Check out our Potatoes Au Gratin for a similar thanksgiving recipe.
Ingredients
Herbs and Spices: oregano, salt, pepper, nutmeg, thyme
Liquids: olive oil, milk
Regular ingredients: ground beef, onion, garlic, eggplant, crush tomatoes, butter, all-purpose flour, white cheese
Specialty ingredients: lasagna sheets
See recipe card for quantities.
Walk through the Recipe
Let’s start preparing our Greek Moussaka Lasagna.
We begin by sautéing garlic and onions in a saucepan and adding ground beef.
Next, we add crushed tomatoes, oregano, salt and pepper to the pan, stir and allow it to simmer for 20 minutes.
As the ground beef simmers, season one inch slices of eggplant with salt and sear on a hot pan with olive oil until charred.
Prepare the béchamel sauce by adding butter, flour, slowly whisk milk, parmesan cheese, nutmeg powder, salt and pepper to form a velvety creamy sauce. Also, prepare the lasagna pasta according to the package instructions and drain.
It's finally time to layer the dish to form our Greek Moussaka Lasagna. Evenly layer the seared eggplant in the bottom of the baking dish.
Add a layer of cooked lasagna pasta and meat sauce. Repeat this another two more times to form three layers of lasagna and meat.
Add the final layer of creamy béchamel sauce to cover the baking dish and sprinkle over white cheese.
Bake for 45 mins in a 395° F oven until the top is brown and bubbling. Once done, sprinkle over dried thyme and let it rest for 20 minutes before serving.
Substitutions
You can replace some of the ingredients in the recipe to suit what you have at home.
- Ground beef: ground chicken, ground lamb, plant-based meat substitute
- White cheese: any available cheese
- Nutmeg: ground cinnamon
- Thyme: rosemary
- Crush tomatoes: regular tomatoes (cooked and reduced)
Tips
- Slicing the vegetables: Aim for uniform thickness to ensure even cooking. About one inch thickness would work well for the eggplant.
- Remove moisture from eggplant: You can choose to sprinkle salt over the cut eggplant and set aside for 20 minutes. Dab it with a paper towel to remove excess water.
- Smooth béchamel sauce : Whisk the béchamel sauce continuously to ensure it's smooth and free of lumps. Gradually add the milk while whisking to prevent clumping. Don't rush this step.
- Rest before serving: After baking, allow the moussaka lasagna to rest for about 20 minutes before cutting and serving. This helps the layers set and makes it easier to cut.
FAQs
Lasagna is an Italian dish made with layers of pasta, cheese and sauce, whereas Moussaka is a Greek dish made with layers of vegetables, meat and béchamel sauce.
Yes, you can prepare components of Moussaka Lasagna in advance. Roast the eggplant, make the sauces, and cook the noodles ahead of time. Assemble the lasagna just before baking for best results.
Yes, you can freeze Moussaka Lasagna. Ensure it has completely cooled down, then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and aluminum foil or place it in an airtight container. It can be frozen for up to a month. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.
Searing the eggplant slices before layering helps remove excess moisture. You can pat them dry with paper towels after roasting to further reduce moisture content. Additionally, you can choose to sprinkle salt over the cut eggplant before searing and set aside for 20 minutes. Dab it with a paper towel to remove excess water.
Related Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
- Tender Beef Karahi Recipe
- Jerk Shrimp Pasta (Rasta Pasta Recipe)
- Mushroom Pappardelle
- Chicken Fajita Rice Bowl
Fusion Recipe
Try out some of our specialty recipes:
- Jerk Chicken Quesadilla
- Sumac Fries
- Crispy Brussels Sprouts Recipe (Indian style)
- Easy Crab Rangoon Egg Rolls
Recipe
Greek Moussaka Lasagna
Ingredients
- 900 grams ground beef
- 9 lasagna sheets
- 1 medium onion
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 medium eggplants
- 400 ml crushed can tomatoes
- 2 tablespoon dried oregano
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 tablespoon unsalted butter
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 3 cups milk
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 cup grated white cheese
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- Salt to taste
- pepper
Instructions
- In a large saucepan, heat olive oil and sauté chopped garlic and onions. Add ground beef, break it up with a spoon and cook until brown. Add crushed tomatoes, dried oregano, salt and pepper to taste. Let it simmer on medium heat for another 20 mins. Remove from heat and set aside.
- While the ground beef is simmering, season one inch slices of eggplant with salt and sear on a hot pan with olive oil until charred.
- In a different saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add flour and whisk for 2-3 minutes until it turns light golden. Gradually pour in milk while whisking constantly to avoid lumps.
- Whisk until the sauce thickens and add ground nutmeg, grated white cheese and, salt and pepper to taste. Stir until the cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Cook the lasagna pasta according to the package instructions and drain. Preheat the oven to 395° F.
- In a 9x13 baking dish, start by layering the charred eggplants as the first layer. Add a layer of Lasagna and another layer of meat sauce. Repeat this to form three layers of Lasagna and meat sauce.
- In the final layer, pour over the béchamel sauce and sprinkle grated white cheese. Bake for 45 minutes , until the top is golden brown and bubbling. Sprinkle over dried thyme and let it rest for 20 minutes before serving.
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