Artichoke & Eggplant White Lasagna

mmmmm pasta. Artichoke & Eggplant White Lasagna to be exact. While eating this dish, I told Nick the one and only thing to make this meal better is if I made my own pasta, and I'll do that someday once I get my pasta roller (which I will be registering for!)

This meal was so amazing. Buying really good cheese (not kraft... or anything that comes pre-shredded or in a bag) is the key to this dish. We happened to get an awesome gift card (Thanks Jeannie & Terri!) to Whole Foods for my birthday (and by "we" I meant "I") so we went all out. We bought organic noodles, organic goat cheese, a real Italian cheese, and squishy mozzarella. Yum Yum and Yum.

I highly highly highly recommend making this dish. It's so flavorful and delicious. Enjoy with a glass of white wine (we had Chardonnay... and two glasses, which is why I waited until later to write about it).

Artichoke and Eggplant White Lasagna
Serves: 8

Ingredients:
Olive Oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, chopped
1 medium eggplant cut into 1/2 inch thick slices
9 dried lasagna noodles

Sauce:
1 Tablespoon butter
2 Tablespoons all-purpose organic flour
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/4 cup grated grana padano cheese, divided
1/2 cup goat cheese
salt and pepper to taste
1 can water-packed artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 1/4 cup grated mozzarella cheese, divided

Directions:Lightly fry the eggplant for about 5 minutes or until tender.Cook noodles according directions on package, then drain and set aside.For the sauce, melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds. Slowly whisk in milk until combined well. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 4 to 5 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons of the grana padano, goat cheese, salt and pepper, and reserved onions and remove from heat. Stir just until cheese melts, then set sauce aside.Spray an 8-inch square baking pan with cooking spray and spread 1/4 cup of the sauce on bottom of pan. Top with 2 noodles, then layer with half of the eggplant and artichoke hearts, 1/2 cup sauce, and 1/2 cup mozzarella. Repeat with a second layer and then place the last 2 noodles on top. Spread remaining sauce over noodles and top with remaining mozzarella and grana padano.Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes, then uncover and bake for 5 minutes more. Set lasagna aside to let rest for 5 minutes, then slice and serve.
Preheat oven to 375°F. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, onion, and salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, 5 to 6 minutes. Set aside and wipe out skillet.