ON THE LIGHTER SIDE By Christy Rost   After weeks of indulging in sumptuous holiday meals and rich desserts, I look forward to dining on the lighter side in January. While turkey dressing and buttery holiday cookies with icing and sprinkles rekindle memories of childhood Christmases, they do nothing to keep my cholesterol within normal limits, so January is a time to get back to the basics of good eating.  Sensible dining can hardly be declared a hardship when higher-fat meals are replaced by selections like this week’s featured recipe for Vegetarian Eggplant Lasagna. This classic Italian dish features thinly-sliced eggplant, lightly browned in a smidge of olive oil; then layered between tender pasta with low-fat (or non-fat) ricotta cheese, mozzarella, fresh basil, and rich tomato sauce. After complex holiday meals, this simple, uncomplicated entrée is fresh and satisfying. Perfectly suited to weekend family meals or a casual gathering of friends, Vegetarian Eggplant Lasagna is pure comfort food, but add soft candlelight, a bottle of good red wine, and soft music, and it becomes a feast for the senses. There’s no better way to start the New Year. Vegetarian Eggplant Lasagna Ingredients: 1 recipe Tomato Sauce 1 large eggplant 2 to3 tablespoons olive oil 15 lasagna noodles 2 teaspoons salt 2 teaspoons olive oil 1 15-ounce container low-fat or non-fat ricotta ¾ pound thinly-sliced mozzarella 5 large basil leaves, torn into ½-inch pieces 1 9x13-inch baking pan Tomato Sauce 2 28-ounce cans peeled Italian-style plum tomatoes 2 tablespoons olive oil 3 large cloves minced garlic 1 ½ teaspoons salt 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper ¼ teaspoon sugar Process tomatoes through a fool mill to remove seeds. Preheat a large saucepan over low heat; add olive oil and garlic. Cook garlic 1 minute until light brown. Stir in tomato sauce, salt, oregano, black pepper and sugar. Raise heat to medium-high. Bring sauce to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium. Simmer 30-35 minutes, uncovered, until sauce thickens and is reduced by one-fourth, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and keep warm. Peel eggplant, slice in quarters lengthwise, and slice quarters into ¼-inch thick slices. Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat; add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and swirl pan to coat. Arrange slices of eggplant to cover bottom of skillet. Sauté 2 minutes until eggplant is lightly browned; turn to other side and sauté 1 additional minute. Transfer slices to paper towel to drain. Repeat process until all eggplant slices are cooked; set aside. Bring a large, covered dutch oven of water to a boil. Add salt, 2 teaspoons olive oil and the lasagna noodles. Boil lasagna approximately 10 minutes, until pasta is al dente. Drain into a large colander. To assemble lasagna, coat bottom of baking pan with a scant amount of tomato sauce. Top with a layer of prepared pasta, a scant dressing of tomato sauce, eggplant slices, dollops of ricotta cheese, torn basil and mozzarella. Repeat process for a total of 4 layers. Top with a fifth layer of pasta and dress liberally with remaining tomato sauce and mozzarella. Cover pan tightly with foil. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake lasagna 35 to 40 minutes, or until hot and bubbly. Remove from oven, set aside 10 minutes to firm, and serve. Recipe makes 8 servings. Get more of Christy Rost's recipes in her archives. Click here. Do you have any questions, comments or suggestions? Email: jwdineline@aol.com