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1
Heat broiler and line a baking sheet with foil or parchment.
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2
Brush both sides of eggplant slices with 2 tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt.
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3
Arrange slices on prepared baking sheet and broil in batches until they are deep mahogany brown, turning once halfway through, 5 to 7 minutes per side.
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4
Adjust the oven to 375 degrees with rack positioned in the center.
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5
In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the remaining olive oil over medium heat.
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6
Add onion and saute until translucent, but not browned, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.
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7
Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
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8
Add ground lamb or beef, stirring frequently and breaking up meat into very small pieces with the side of a metal spoon.
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9
Season with remaining teaspoon salt, cinnamon and pepper.
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10
Saute until meat is just cooked through.
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11
Taste and add more salt or pepper, or both, as needed.
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12
In a medium skillet, melt butter over medium heat.
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13
Add pine nuts and reduce heat to medium-low.
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14
Stir nuts to coat them with butter and continue stirring constantly until nuts are golden brown, 2 to 4 minutes.
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15
Keep a close watch over the nuts; they can burn quickly once they begin to brown.
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16
Transfer nuts to a bowl while still warm and salt them lightly.
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17
Coat a 13-by-9-by-2-inch baking dish with remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
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18
Spread 1/2 cup of tomato sauce in the bottom of the dish.
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19
Lay 1/3 of the eggplant slices in a single layer over the sauce, covering as much surface area of the bottom of the dish as possible.
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20
Spoon half the meat evenly over eggplant.
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21
Pour 1/3 of the remaining tomato sauce evenly over meat.
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22
Sprinkle with 1/3 of the pine nuts.
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23
Layer again with eggplant, meat, tomato sauce and pine nuts.
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24
Finish with a layer of eggplant and cover with more tomato sauce, sprinkling top with pine nuts.
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25
Pour 1 cup warm water around the perimeter of the baking dish.
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26
(Sauce will thicken as it bakes.)
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27
Cover pan with foil and bake for 90 minutes.
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28
Remove foil and top eggplant evenly with mozzarella.
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29
Bake for 15 minutes longer, uncovered, or until the cheese is bubbling and golden.
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30
Serve eggplant warm, over rice.
