Healthier Eggplant Parmigiana

Yum

It’s eggplant season! We love eggplant in our house and what I love to do is take traditional recipes, like Eggplant Parmigiana, and make them healthier without losing any of the flavor. This is a delicious, lighter,  version of a Healthier Eggplant Parmigiana  that your whole family will love. Baked not fried and a fraction of mozzarella that parmigiana typically used in eggplant parmigiana -I promise you won’t miss it! Eggplant Parmigiana can be healthy 

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Eggplant is high in antioxidants. vitamins, minerals, low in calories, and a good source of fiber. It is also like a sponge, soaking up a lot of oil when it is fried in a traditional eggplant parmigiana recipe, resulting in a ton of fat and calories.  In this recipe, you drizzle extra virgin olive oil over the eggplant and baked them.  The sauce is pretty simple marinara sauce and I usually make my own, but  If you don’t have the time, you can use your favorite jarred sauce (I like Rao’s in a pinch. It’s the absolute closest one I have found to homemade! 

PRO TIP: Lay your sliced eggplant slices, sprinkled with salt, on paper towels to draw out the moisture 

Check out these other favorite recipes for classic Italian dishes:

Lightened up Chicken Piccata

Authentic Italian Meatballs in Sauce

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Healthier Eggplant Parmigiana

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A delicious healthier, lighted up version of Eggplant Parmigiana your whole family will love.

Ingredients

• Eggplant:
• 1 whole egg and 1 egg white, beaten
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 1/2 cups dried breadcrumbs
• 1 tablespoon dried italian seasoning
• 1 large eggplant peeled and cut into 1/2" thick slices
• 2 Tablespoons Shredded Mozzarella 
• 1/4 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil (optional)
• Sauce:
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, sliced thin
• 1/4 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1 large (28 ounce) can  organic crushed tomatoes 
• Sea salt and fresh ground pepper

Instructions

1. To Make the Sauce, Saute onion, salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes (if using) in olive oil for 3-4 minutes until soft. Add the garlic and saute another minute.
2. Add crushed tomatoes, sea salt, and ground pepper and stir. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, partially cover, and simmer on lowest flame for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Lay eggplant slices on a paper towel, sprinkle some sea salt across the slices, and cover with another paper towel to take the moisture out.

Put beaten eggs in a shallow dish. Put breadcrumbs and italian seasoning in a second shallow dish.

Dip the slices in the egg, drip off excess, and coat with the breadcrumbs.

Arrange single layer on a baking sheet sprayed lightly with cooking spray.

Drizzle 1 tablespoon of Extra virgin olive oil on eggplant slices. Bake approximately 25 minutes, turning once, until brown

Cover the bottom of a baking dish with sauce. Layer eggplant over sauce.

Repeat with as many layers as needed.

Cover the last layer with sauce, shredded mozzarella and grated parmigiana cheese.

Bake at 375 for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted. Top with the chopped basil before serving 

 

*This recipe was updated on January 28, 2022