Roasted Vegetable Moussaka – Recipe for Mediterranean vegetarian moussaka casserole with roasted eggplants, zucchini, lentils, tomatoes, peppers, spices and rich creamy béchamel sauce. Healthy, flavorful and nourishing!
This recipe has been updated from the archives with new photos and a how-to cooking video.
Moussaka originated in the Balkan region of southeastern Europe. Like many ancient dishes, it has a number of regional variations. Alan Davidson explains these various approaches in his Oxford Companion to Food:
“Moussaka or musaka, often written as musakka, is a meat and vegetable stew, originally made from sliced aubergine (eggplant), meat, and tomatoes, and preferably cooked in an oven. This is the version current among the Turks and Arabs, who may also substitute courgettes (zucchini) for the aubergines. In the Balkans, more elaborate versions are found. The Greeks cover the stew with a layer of beaten egg or béchamel sauce. Elsewhere in the Balkans mussaka has become a much more various oven-baked casserole, admitting many more vegetables than aubergine or courgette, often dropping tomatoes and even meat.”
My Roasted Vegetable Moussaka is Greek-style, topped with rich and creamy béchamel sauce. I roast up my Mediterranean vegetables before baking the casserole, which adds wonderful flavor to the finished dish. Lentils serve as a meat substitute here, with potatoes added to make the dish hearty. Even devoted carnivores may find themselves satiated by this recipe.
I’ll warn you in advance, this is NOT an easy dish to prepare. While the steps themselves are pretty simple, the process is time consuming. Consequently you might consider this dish for a special occasion, like Sukkot or a Sunday family gathering. Serve the leftovers for Meatless Monday– the dish refrigerates and freezes well. I’ve included a few tips in the recipe for cutting down on prep time. The end result is worth the effort. It’s scrumptious, with layers and layers of amazing flavor.
Gluten Free Modification: This recipe is almost gluten free, but it will take a couple of modifications to make it completely GF. The original recipe uses flour to thicken the béchamel sauce. Substitute King Arthur’s Gluten Free Multi-Purpose Flour or a small amount of potato starch as a thickener. If you’re using a pre-grated parmesan, check to make sure that it is purely cheese (no modified starches in the mix). This will ensure that your moussaka is gluten free.
Vegetarian Note: If you are a vegetarian, you will want to make sure that your cheeses are vegetarian (produced without animal rennet).
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Food Photography and Styling by Kelly Jaggers
Vegetable Moussaka
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds zucchini (about 3 medium) sliced thin
- 1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes (about 3 large) peeled and sliced thin
- 3 pounds small eggplants
- 3 cloves garlic peeled
- 1 onion diced
- 1 1/2 cups cooked or steamed lentils
- 1 roasted red bell pepper sliced thin
- 3 cups diced ripe red tomatoes OR 2 cans (15 oz. each) diced tomatoes
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper if you're spice sensitive use 1/4 tsp
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 10 tablespoons grated pecorino or parmesan cheese divided
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons all purpose white flour (for gluten free use a certified gluten free cup-for-cup all purpose flour)
- 3 cups milk
- 1 large egg beaten
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg or more to taste
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Place racks on the upper and lower thirds of your oven. Preheat oven to 500 degrees F. Grease two baking sheets with extra virgin olive oil. Spread out the zucchini, potatoes, and 3 garlic cloves in a single layer across the baking sheets. Brush the exposed tops of the vegetables with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with salt and black pepper.
- Place baking sheet with potatoes on the upper rack of the oven. Place sheet with zucchini on the lower half. Roast veggies for 10 minutes. Remove sheets from oven and place them back in the oven, switching racks (zucchini and garlic on top, potatoes on bottom). Roast for about 5 more minutes, until veggies are tender and starting to turn golden brown (check the bottoms of the veggies for browning).
- While potatoes and zucchini are roasting, remove the stem ends from the eggplants. Peel strips from the eggplants so that they have thin stripes of peel remaining down the sides (they will be half-peeled).
- Cut the eggplants into 1/2 inch slices.
- When potatoes and zucchini are done roasting, remove them from the oven and scoop veggies into a bowl using a slotted spatula. Take the 3 roasted garlic cloves and chop them, reserve.
- Re-grease the baking sheets with olive oil. Spread eggplant slices into a single layer across the two baking sheets. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Place the baking sheets in the oven and roast for 10-15 minutes, switching the baking sheets on upper and lower thirds halfway through cooking, until the slices are tender and lightly golden (check the bottom edges of slices for browning).
- While eggplant is roasting, place a sauté pan or skillet with high sides on the stovetop. Warm up 2 tbsp olive oil in the pan over medium high heat. Sauté diced onion until softened and translucent. Add roasted bell pepper slices and chopped roasted garlic, saute for another 2 minutes. Add cooked lentils, diced tomatoes, fresh dill, oregano, cinnamon, cayenne pepper and 3/4 tsp salt to the pan; stir well. Reduce heat to medium and let mixture cook for about 5 more minutes until warmed through. If using fresh tomatoes, let the mixture cook for 10 minutes until tomatoes are soft.
- When eggplant is done roasting, remove it from the oven and reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees F. Use a slotted spatula to scoop up the eggplant slices and place in a bowl. Lightly grease your baking dish or pan. Place a single layer of half of the roasted eggplant slices on the bottom of your dish.
- On top of that, place a layer of half the potatoes and half the zucchini.
- Spread the lentil mixture evenly in a single layer across the surface.
- Sprinkle 2 tbsp of grated pecorino or parmesan and ½ cup crumbled feta across the top of the lentil mixture.
- Place the rest of the potatoes and zucchini in another layer on top of the cheese.
- Finish with a layer of the remaining roasted eggplant slices. Sprinkle top of the moussaka with 2 tbsp more of grated parmesan cheese.
- Place moussaka in the oven for 20 minutes to bake at 375 degrees F. Meanwhile, while the moussaka is baking, make the béchamel sauce for the top of the moussaka. In a small pan, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk flour into the melted butter till dissolved and thick.
- Continue to whisk for a few minutes until the flour/butter mixture turns a light sandy brown color.
- Slowly whisk in milk. Bring mixture to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium.
- Whisk in 2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese. Continue whisking for a few minutes until the sauce starts to thicken. Remove from heat. Add ¾ tsp salt, nutmeg, and black pepper to taste. Whisk the beaten egg slowly into the sauce (drizzle the egg while whisking constantly).
- Remove the moussaka from the oven. Pour sauce evenly across the top of the moussaka. Sprinkle ¼ cup grated paremsan cheese on top of the sauce.
- Put moussaka back in the oven. Cook for another 30 minutes until the top is golden brown and the moussaka is cooked through. If the top isn't evenly browned, you can turn on the broiler and broil it for a minute or two-- keep a close eye on it to make sure it doesn't burn. Do not broil if using a glass dish, as they can shatter under the intense heat.
- Serve hot. Don’t expect it all to hold together neatly when served; it will slice more cleanly and pieces will hold together better after it has cooled.
NOTES
Nutrition
This turned out so delicious, my husband requested this to be made every week (ha!). While it is time consuming (and bowls and baking consuming) it is worth it. Layers of flavor galore. I made this gluten-free and dairy-free (almond milk for béchamel). Another outstanding addition to my repertoire. Thank you, Tori!
This looks fabulous. What can I serve this with to make a complete meal?
Hi this looks great. I have only ever cooked red lentils before, do you have any tips for brown ones please? My bag just says to rinse and pick them!! thanks in advance, Janet
Tori
Can the potatoes zuccini and egg plant be peeled and slivers and place in refrige till ready to assemble. Recipe sounds great but need to more prep ahead of time. I know potatoes will hold refrigerated in a pot of water’s but I have not tried it with the other veggies.
The best way to do this is the roast the veggies ahead of time, after roasting they will keep in the refrigerator just fine. Keeping the raw sliced potatoes and eggplant is a bit tricky, to avoid discoloration it’s best to roast them first.
The last time I had Moussaka, it had eggplant and a good amount of cheese, And i think spinach. No potatoes I don’t think zucchini either. Was at a Greek restaurant. I loved it. Would love to find that recipe.
Oh my! this is just gorgeous, so very much worth any & all the time to prep & prepare. This will be my main event for Easter 2015 for all of us
vegetarians that gather & feast. Can’t wait. Thank you so much.
This recipe is AMAZING! It’s so hearty and filling and flavours are perfect! I did manage to make it a lot quicker second time round which was good. Will definitely make this again and again! The non-vego boyfriend loves it too! YUMMO!
Great Alex! It does get easier with practice…
I roughly did a third of this recipe and managed to get all the veg including the pepper in the oven at the same time. This reduced my prep time to 1 hour. I gave up trying to find vegetarian parmesan years ago so just use cheddar. Best meal I’ve had in ages, will definitely make again soon.
I just made this moussaka and it looks amazing. To save time I rosted all the vegetables last night and so today is just cooked the onions etc and the bechamel sauce. Tastes delicious. Thanks Tori
Hello Tori,
This sounds great for some newly vegetarians members of my family. Read all the comments and questions.
Can I roast the vegetables a day ahead and assemble the day of?
Also, can I substitute red lentils for the brown/green ones (don’t like) or for something else, or omit altogether?
Thanks! Awaiting your reply.
Yes to both questions. Enjoy!
Greetings from Bulgaria, where, the moussaka is a traditional meal. I have stopped eating meat for a month and I have been looking for a good substitution for quite a while (we use minced pork and square-cut potatoes) and I love the recipe.
I’d suggest you try topping it with plain yougurt and eggs whisked together, as we do it here, instead of this sauce. It is lighter and gluten free.
I made a version of this amazing dish and just posted it with a link to your blog. It was absolutely delicious!! (I love your step by step photos as well.) Thanks for the inspiration!!!
This looks great. I’d like to make it in advance for a family party and freeze. Would you freeze with the sauce on top or leave making the sauce until after defrosting? Thanks
Hi Chrissy, I believe I answered this on a previous comment– I would make the sauce and do a final bake/broil before serving. I wouldn’t freeze the sauce part. Enjoy!
Tori this is fantastic!
Sorry to be a pain regarding freezing.
Do you recommend assembling without sauce and freezing, or assembling without sauce, cooking partially and then freezing?
I’m not a freezer by default but think making a larger batch makes sense
You can freeze it from fully cooked with topping, it should freeze just fine that way.
i try this and delicious…i will make it on roshashana
This is one of the BEST vegetarian recipes I have tried in many years. My family ADORED it. I am primarily vegetarian (occasional farm-raised meat, fresh caught local fish). But, honestly, this is comfort food @ it’s best. The omni’s/carni’s in the family will be very pleased when you make them this delicious dish full of vegetables & protein (from the lentils). Instead of veggie lasagna for holidays, this will be my new entree. Leftovers are divine. Thank-you, Tori.
Fabulous Joyce! Thank you for writing.
I am not a fan of zucchini when it is mushy, so I might not like it in this recipe. Can I just double the eggplant? Will it taste just as good?
Hi Bev, I would actually use 1 1/2 lbs. potatoes in the place of zucchini.
I just made this and it was delicious!! My husband loved the different blend of spices. YUMMY. I was wondering if there was a way to make sure the zucchini are firmer, or if they are supposed to be pretty soft. Some of my zucchini were kind of mushy. They still tasted amazing though! Thanks for all the great recipes. I’m having fun expanding my recipe repertoire.
Hi Stephanie, so glad you liked it! You can easily adjust the texture of the zucchini by roasting them for less time up front… try roasting them for just 10 minutes instead of 15, so they are tender but still firm, then proceed with the recipe as written.
Your ideas for delicious healthy food are awesome!
Hi Torey! I love all your recipes & love your story! You are so blunt & very specific & honest! I am planning on making this recipe for Shavuot. My father in law is coming & not too into eggplant. Is there another hearty veggie that can be sliced large like that that I could use as a substitute? Perhaps another type of squash? (I’d imagine zucchini would be too watery…) Although I personally love eggplant I’m just trying to make sure all my guests are happy! Thanks!
Hi Lindy! That’s a great question. If I were you I’d double the amount of potatoes and squash and omit the eggplant. If you’d like, rather than doubling the zucchini you could use 1 1/2 lbs. zucchini and 1 1/2 lbs. yellow summer squash. Using more squash might make it a bit more liquid, but I wouldn’t worry too much about it… there is always a little residual liquid at the bottom of the baking dish, but I prefer it moist rather than dry so this is never a problem for me. If you’re worried, you can drain off the excess liquid from the lentil/tomato mixture after you cook it. Enjoy!
I just made this and didn’t use eggplant. I sliced the zucchini diagonal so that the slices were very large and I sliced the potatoes lengthwise instead too. It worked well 🙂
Hey, roasting is a culinary miracle – it got me to like beets!