As I rolled over, my eyes sprung open, but it was not the sun peeping through my blinds that awoke me, nor was it the chirps of the small brown sparrows right outside my window. Thankfully, it was also not the loud terrible melody of my phone alarm. What woke me on that beautiful Sunday morning was the comforting, delicious aroma of the eggplant lasagna that my mother was cooking in the oven downstairs.

The fragrance of this dish is my weakness, even stronger than the alluring scent of morning coffee. How could I possibly stay in bed when my mouth was watering? I rushed downstairs eager for a small helping. I could smell the sweetness of the tomato sauce. I could feel the heat bursting from the hard working oven and the freshly baked lasagna masterpiece. The sight of the melted mozzarella cheese oozing from the crevasses of the heavenly lasagna layers was drawing me closer and closer.

“No! You have to wait until dinner!” snapped my mom.

What do you mean I can’t eat it for breakfast?! All I wanted was to taste that sweet sauce and melted “mut-za-del.” How cruel could my mother be, taunting and torturing my senses! Minutes felt like hours, and hours felt like days as I awaited the arrival of my family for Sunday dinner. Eggplant lasagna had become a sort of beacon in my home. Whenever my mother made it, my siblings would put their busy lives on hold, returning to steal a serving of my favorite food. As 5 P.M. was slowly approaching I was getting more and more anxious, taking a look out of the window every time I heard an engine or car door, knowing that the eggplant lasagna would be well worth the terrible wait.

With such an amazing and tireless cook at home, it was very rare that I found myself at the stove. However, as eggplant lasagna had become a staple of the Manzo household, I knew it was a recipe I must learn:

Ingredients:

1 Box of Ronzoni No Boil Oven Ready Lasagna

1 pound of ready-made Shoprite brand fried eggplant (Can be bought in Deli section).

2 pounds of Pollyo Mozzarella cheese.

1 16oz can of Sclafani Tomatoes sauce.

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Chop the 2 pounds of Pollyo Mozzarella into cube like pieces. Place in bowl for easy layering.
• Gather 1 aluminum lasagna pan.
• Spread thin layer of Sclafani tomatoes sauce over the bottom of the pan to create the first layer of the lasagna.
• Next, use approximately three squares of Lasagna to create the second layer.
• Spread 3-4 slices of breaded and fried eggplant over the lasagna noodle layer.
• Spread the chopped Mozzarella over the eggplant to create the forth layer. Be generous, we love cheese.
• Pour another layer of sauce.
• Repeat this layering until you reach the top of the pan.
• Cut a sizeable piece of aluminum foil to cover your tray of Lasagna. Cover aluminum tray with foil but “tent” the foil. This means you must fold the foil in half two ways, one vertical and one horizontal. The idea is to ensure that the aluminum foil does not sit flat on the tray or the Mozzarella will stick.
• Place covered tray of lasagna on a cookie sheet to avoid spillage.
• Place tray of lasagna on the top rack to avoid burning.
• Cook for approximately 45 minutes or until noodles are tender.
• Lay out to rest for at least 10 minutes before cutting.
• Enjoy!

-One tray will serve approximately 6 people.

-To make two trays double ingredients and steps listed above.

My first time making this beloved dish was terrifying as I had huge shoes to fill. As far as my family knew, I was only capable of making sandwiches. I had been with my boyfriend for three years at the time and had never even cooked for him, something my mom often laughed at me about. I thought of my sister’s sarcasm saying “uh-oh” when she heard I would be cooking. I was hopeful that I would prove them wrong and impress them all.

Oddly enough, chopping the mozzarella was the most annoying and tedious part of cooking. Making tiny pieces out of a huge block of cheese seemed to take forever. Mom sat next to me overseeing the process, giving tips here and there. She advised spreading the sauce evenly to every edge so that the lasagna noodles would soften, and she barked at me to stop eating the mozzarella cubes along the way.

The wait until 5 P.M. was even worse this time because I was nervous for my families’ reactions. When the time finally came, I stared as the first bites were taken.

“It’s delicious!” said my aunt after swallowing her first forkful.

“Wow!” said my sister with a look of shock and awe flashing across her face.

“You can cook!” exclaimed by boyfriend as his jaw dropped.

“Amazing, absolutely amazing sweetheart!” said my mom as a shaky smile formed across her face and tears swelled in her eyes.

I was elated, but when my aunt and sister told me I would be responsible for cooking New Years and Easter dinner, my pride turned to fear…what had I gotten myself into?!