• Preheat oven to 425°F. Cut a small amount off the top of the bulb of unpeeled garlic. Lightly toss garlic in a drizzle of olive oil and wrap in foil. Place bulb of garlic in the oven. Roast whole garlic while you are prepping and baking the eggplant. When the garlic is finished roasting (about forty minutes), let cool and then squeeze the softened cloves out of the skin and set aside.
• While garlic is roasting slice the eggplant lengthwise into thin 11⁄2 cm pieces Leave skin on and salt generously. Let the salted eggplant rest for 7 minutes to draw out the moisture, and then pat dry with a paper towel. Flip and salt eggplant pieces again. Wait another 7 minutes or so and pat dry once more. Once oven is preheated, add eggplant slices to a greased sheet pan and cook for 10−12 minutes on each side or until lightly browned. Remove pan from oven and set aside until it is time to layer. Turn oven temperature down to 375°F.
• Cook lasagna noodles in boiling water (add 1 Tbsp salt) until al dente (10 minutes or so). Drain and rinse pasta with cold water and toss with a bit of oil to prevent the noodles from sticking together.

For the filling

• Chop up the spinach, arugula, and parsley. In a bowl, beat the egg and mix into the ricotta cheese 1⁄2 cup of the Parmesan cheese. Stir the chopped greens and the 11⁄2 cups grated mozzarella into the ricotta mixture and refrigerate until you are ready to assemble.

For the marinara sauce

• Heat 2 Tbsp of olive oil in a large pot and fry up the mush- rooms for a few minutes, then add the onions and 1 tsp of salt and fry until soft. Next, add the chopped green pepper, zucchini, and minced garlic. Stir in the spices (pepper, chili flakes, basil, oregano, thyme) and canned tomatoes, plus balsamic vinegar and 1 more Tbsp of olive oil. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer over medium-high heat for about 35 minutes or until the sauce has thickened. Stir with a wooden spoon. Never use a metal spoon in a tomato-based sauce. Season the sauce with more salt and pepper, if needed. Some people may find the Parmesan cheese adds enough salt, but a bit of extra saltiness brings out the robust flavours. For those who like a spicier sauce, add more black pepper, or sprinkle each portion with extra red chili flakes.
• If you haven’t already, grate your mozzarella and the additional Parmesan cheese and set aside until you are ready to assemble your lasagna.
• Find a large 13 × 9–inch casserole dish or, if you don’t have one, use a roasting pan which will allow plenty of room for all your layers, so the contents won’t overflow onto the bottom of the oven.

How to layer in order:

• Cover the bottom of the pan with about 1⁄2 cup marinara sauce.
• Add a layer of cooked lasagna noodles.
• Spread half of the ricotta cheese/mozzarella and greens mixture.
• Add the pieces of whole roasted garlic and spread evenly on top of the ricotta mixture. (Rough chunks of caramelized garlic dotted throughout the lasagna are a wonderful surprise to bite into.)
• Spread another layer of marinara sauce.
• Layer with slices of roasted eggplant, then sprinkle with 1⁄2 cup Parmesan cheese and (chili flakes optional).
• Add another layer of lasagna noodles.
• Layer with the rest of the ricotta/mozzarella cheese and greens mixture.
• Spread more marinara (about 1 1⁄2 cups).
• Add the final layer of lasagna noodles.
• Use up the rest of the marinara sauce.
• Top with the rest of the mozzarella cheese and remaining 1⁄2 cup of grated Parmesan.
• Bake for 20 minutes. Rotate the pan and bake for another 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let set for at least 10 minutes. Dig in.