Matt loves lasagna with a passion, and I rarely make it because not only is it so time-consuming, but even an 8"x8" dish is way too much for 2 people. I can only stand eating leftovers for so long. I decided to try making a bunch of 2-3 serving mini lasagne to keep in the freezer for nights when I don't feel like cooking.

This version has eggplant and broccoli hidden in the sauce (because I like to force my love for vegetables on others). I found the tiniest eggplants at the farmer's market today - 3 of them, about 1" by 3", all attached to the same vine. I was thinking about peeling them first, but then I decided that the purple flecks of skin would look pretty in the sauce.

I think next time I will make enough noodles to have one more layer on top, then top it with more sauce and cheese. I think that if I make 4 instead of 5 pans I'll have enough sauce and cheese. Then I would need 8 noodles to make 3 layers.

5 foil loaf pans (8"x4")
7 lasagna noodles
1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 broccoli crown, finely chopped
1 small eggplant, diced (about 1 to 1 1/2 cups)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb ground beef
1 1/2 24-oz jars pasta sauce
15 oz ricotta cheese
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
5.5 oz firm tofu (about 2/5 of a block), crumbled
handful fresh basil leaves, chopped
16 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded

Boil the noodles for a minute or two less than the package directs. Drain and lay flat while preparing the sauce and filling.

In a dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, eggplant, and broccoli and saute a few minutes. Remove from pot and set aside. In the same pot, brown the ground beef and break it up into crumbles. Drain, then return the vegetables to the pot.

Add a little pasta sauce to each foil pan, just to cover the bottom. Pour the rest of the sauce into the meat mixture and bring to a boil. Remove from heat.

In a medium bowl, combine ricotta, egg, parmesan, tofu and basil. Mix well.

Place 2/3 of a noodle in each pan. Top with a layer of ricotta filling, a layer of meat sauce, and a layer of shredded mozzarella. Repeat with the remaining noodle pieces, filling, sauce, and cheese.

Cover with foil then place in gallon sized freezer bags and freeze for future meals.

Bake, covered, on a baking sheet at 400°F until heated through, then remove foil and bake about 10-15 minutes longer, to brown the top. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Makes 5 mini lasagne