Eggplant for a healthy dose and parmesan for an appetizing kick, this dish is best for those non-carb days. You can serve this up to your family and friends when you want to bring something with a regal look and fine taste to the table but wish to avoid the unnecessary carbs of lasagna. The dried basil adds an earthy tingle to the entire dish.
Ingredients
eggs – slightly beaten: 2
water: 1 tbsp
cups of whole-wheat breadcrumbs: 2
ounce of freshly grated Parmesan cheese: 1
eggplants, peeled and thinly sliced: 2
oil as needed
fresh basil: 1/2 cup
thinly sliced mozzarella cheese: 8 ounces
grated fontina cheese: 3/4 cup
grated fresh Parmesan cheese: 1/4
crushed red pepper: 1/2 tsp
minced garlic: 1 1/2 tsp
salt: 1/4 tsp
ricotta cheese: 16 ounces
large egg, slightly beaten: 1
pasta sauce: 24 ounces
How To Make Eggplant Parmesan
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F
- For the eggplant mix the two lightly beaten eggs and a tablespoon of water in a shallow dish. Take another dish of the same kind and add the bread crumbs and ¼ Parmesan together. Then dip the eggplants in the egg mixture and coat it completely. Then take out the eggplants from the mixture one by one and squeeze it lightly at the end of the bowl to let the excess mixture out.
- Coat a baking sheet or pan with cooking and place 1 eggplant an inch apart from each other.
- Put the eggplants in the oven and let them bake for 35 minutes or until you see them turning golden. However, make sure to rotate the baking sheets/pan once you see the eggplants turning golden.
- For the filling mix fresh basil, ¼ cup of fresh Parmesan, ½ tsp crushed red pepper, minced garlic, ricotta cheese, in the lightly beaten egg.
- To gather everything together put ½ cup of pasta sauce in a 13x9 inch baking dish made of glass which is coated with cooking spray. Put the half f the eggplant slices over the sauce. Add 1/8 tsp of salt on the eggplant. Top the mixture with a ¾ cup of pasta sauce and spread half of the ricotta sauce over it.
- Top all of that over with some mozzarella and fontina cheese. Repeat the layers, as many as you can, with just a cup of the pasta sauce remaining in the end, to cover the mixture with.
- Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil that has been coated with cooking spray.
- Bake the entire component at 375 degrees F for 35 minutes.
- Once that is done remove the foil and top it with remaining mozzarella and fontina.
- Bake again at 375 degrees for 10 more minutes until you see the sauce and the cheese bubble.
- Take the dish out of the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Trivia
Parmesan cheese, also known as Parmesan Reggiano, is not manufactured but instead handmade while still using a recipe that can be traced back 900 years.