Healthier Eggplant Parmesan
Eggplant Parm can be a delicious dish in its full glory, but it can also be on the heavy side. Breaded and fried eggplant, greasy cheese, oily tomato sauce, in other words a calorie bomb.
However there are other and better ways to approach this Italian classic.
Take this Healthier Eggplant Parmesan for instance, instead of being breaded and fried, the eggplant is roasted in the oven. Then it’s layered with a delicious homemade marinara sauce, a good amount of grated Parmesan cheese, and surprise-surprise no mozzarella. Wait, what?
Yes, you heard that right, no mozzarella.
We use beaten eggs instead. I know it may sound weird. Believe me though, it works.
As soon as the Eggplant Parm comes out of the oven it will look as if you used ricotta cheese, no eggs in sight.
This gluten-free recipe for a simple lightened up approach to an Italian classic packs a wallop of flavor while also hitting all the healthy criteria.
No breading, no flour, no frying — just fresh eggplant, marinara sauce, Parmensan cheese for that classic flavor, and the secret ingredient (beaten eggs).
It can be served as a side dish to any main meal or you can make it a meal in and of itself.
Every time is perfect to enjoy this Healthier Eggplant Parmesan and it can be served hot or cold.
Healthier Eggplant Parmesan Print this recipe!
Ingredients
Makes 4 generous servings
3 medium eggplants
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1 29 oz / 820 gr can diced tomatoes
1 cup / 1.8 oz / 50 gr Parmesan cheese, grated
2 free-range eggs, beaten
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
handful of fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped
2 teaspoons fine grain sea salt, divided
Black ground pepper to taste
Directions
Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C) and place a rack in the middle. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and lightly grease it. Set aside.
Fill a large bowl with cold water, add 1 teaspoon of salt and stir until it dissolves completely.
Wash thoroughly the eggplants, slice them into ¼-inch rounds and place them into the bowl of water. Let the eggplant rounds sit for at least 20 minutes to draw out the bitterness.
In the meantime make the tomato sauce. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat, add onion and garlic and sauté for 5 minutes, until onion becomes translucent.
Add diced tomatoes, 1 teaspoon of salt, basil, reduce the heat to low and let simmer for 15 minutes. Turn the heat off and set aside.
Fish the eggplant slices out of the water and arrange them on a single layer on prepared baking sheets. Bake in the oven for 12 to 15 minutes until the slices begin turning deep brown on top.
Remove the slices from the baking sheet and place them on a plate to cool.
Lightly grease the bottom and sides of a 3-quart baking dish.
Cover the bottom of the baking dish with a bit of tomato sauce and arrange eggplant slices on top to form a uniform layer. Cover the eggplant with some tomato sauce, some Parmesan cheese and top with 2 tablespoons of beaten eggs. Repeat to make 3 layers, making sure to end with a uniform layer of tomato sauce and top with the remaining Parmesan cheese.
Bake in the oven for about 40 minutes until the top begins to brown. Let rest at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving.This dish is just as good (maybe even better) the day after, reheat a couple of minutes and enjoy warm (or you can also eat it cold.)
Nutrition facts
One serving yields 280 calories, 13 grams of fat, 28 grams of carbs and 17 grams of protein.
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