Serves 6 to 8
• 2 lbs. fresh, ripe tomatoes
• 5 Tbs. olive oil
• 1½ medium-sized onions, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup peeled, sliced Italian plum tomatoes
• 1 tsp. salt, and more to taste
• ½ tsp. basil
• ⅓ cup red wine
• 1½ lbs. eggplant
• ¾ lb. flat lasagne noodles
• 1 lb. fresh ricotta cheese
• 2 oz. fresh-grated Parmesan cheese (about ¾ cup)
• 1 lb. mozzarella cheese, sliced
• garnish
• additional Parmesan cheese and tomato sauce
1. Plunge the fresh tomatoes into boiling water for 2 to 3 minutes, then hold them under cool running water as you slip off their skins. Chop the tomatoes coarsely.
2. Heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in a medium-sized saucepan and sauté the onions and garlic in it until they begin to color. Add the chopped fresh tomatoes, the sliced Italian tomatoes (fresh ones are preferable, but canned will do), the salt, basil, and wine, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 25 minutes. The sauce should be somewhat thickened but still rather juicy.
3. Peel the eggplant and slice it ½ inch thick, lengthwise. Salt the slices liberally on both sides and let them drain in a colander for about 40 minutes. Rinse them off, squeeze out the excess moisture, and cut them in ½-inch dice. Sauté the eggplant in the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil over high heat, stirring or tossing constantly, until it is tender.
4. Boil the lasagne noodles, 6 or 7 at a time, in about 8 quarts of salted water with a tiny bit of oil, until they are al dente. Remove them from the water carefully, with tongs or 2 long forks.
5. Lightly oil a large, shallow baking dish—about 10 inches by 14 inches. Spoon ⅓ of the tomato sauce across the bottom, and arrange ⅓ of the cooked noodles over it. Spread on ½ the ricotta cheese, and sprinkle it with a few tablespoons of the Parmesan. Evenly distribute ½ the cooked eggplant over the 2 cheeses, cover it with ⅓ of the sliced mozzarella, and spoon on another ⅓ of the sauce.
6. Make another layer of noodles, cover it with the rest of the ricotta, sprinkle on another few tablespoons of Parmesan, distribute the remaining eggplant over that, and arrange another ⅓ of the mozzarella slices over the eggplant. Make a third layer of noodles, cover them with the remaining mozzarella, spoon on the remaining sauce, and sprinkle on the rest of the Parmesan.
7. Cover the dish and bake the lasagne in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for about ½ hour.
8. Serve hot with garlic bread and red wine. Additional Parmesan cheese and tomato sauce can be served separately if desired.
