Eggplant Parm Light Chew Recipes

EGGPLANT PARMESAN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°.
• To make eggplant, combine 2 eggs and 1 tablespoon water in a shallow dish. Combine panko and 1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano in a second shallow dish. Dip eggplant in egg mixture; dredge in panko mixture, pressing gently to adhere and shaking off excess. Place eggplant 1 inch apart on baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 30 minutes or until golden, turning once and rotating baking sheets after 15 minutes.
• To make filling, combine basil and next 6 ingredients (through egg).
• To assemble, spoon 1/2 cup pasta sauce in bottom of a 13 x 9-inch glass baking dish coated with cooking spray. Layer half of eggplant slices over pasta sauce. Sprinkle eggplant with 1/8 teaspoon salt. Top with about 3/4 cup pasta sauce; spread half of ricotta mixture over sauce, and top with a third of mozzarella and 1/4 cup fontina. Repeat layers once, ending with about 1 cup pasta sauce. Cover tightly with aluminum foil coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 35 minutes. Remove foil; top with remaining third of mozzarella and 1/4 cup fontina. Bake at 375° for 10 minutes or until sauce is bubbly and cheese melts; cool 10 minutes.

LIGHTER EGGPLANT PARMESAN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. Arrange eggplant on two rimmed baking sheets. Brush eggplant on both sides with oil, and season with salt and pepper. Bake until golden brown and very tender, 20 to 25 minutes, turning slices and rotating sheets halfway through.
• Meanwhile, make sauce: Off heat, in a medium saucepan, whisk together 1/4 cup milk, flour, and garlic. Gradually whisk in remaining 3/4 cup milk and 1/2 cup marinara sauce. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer, and cook until pink sauce has thickened, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Spread 1/4 cup marinara sauce in the bottom of a shallow 2-quart baking dish. Alternate layers of baked eggplant with pink sauce. Dollop with remaining 1/4 cup marinara sauce. Sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan. Bake on upper rack until browned and bubbling, 10 to 15 minutes.

LIGHTER EGGPLANT PARMESAN

Steps:

• Start by making the sauce if you don't have any already made.
• Preheat oven to 450°F. Spray 2 sheet pans with oil.
• While the sauce simmers, slice the eggplant into 1/4 inch thick slices. Transfer to the prepared pans, it's ok if they overlap slightly. Season with salt. Bake for 20 minutes, turning halfway through until eggplant is golden.
• Meanwhile, in a medium bowl combine ricotta, egg, parsley and 1/4 cup of grated cheese.
• Put 1/2 cup sauce on the bottom of a 9x12 baking dish, add 1/3 of eggplant to cover the bottom of the dish. Top with 1/3 of the ricotta cheese mixture, 3/4 cup of the mozzarella cheese and 3/4 cup of the sauce. Add another layer of eggplant and repeat the ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese and sauce two more times, reserving the third layer of mozzarella for topping. Finish with 1 1/2 cups of sauce, remaining mozzarella, and the remaining 2 tablespoons of grated cheese.
• Heat the oven to 400F.
• Cover with foil and bake until cheese is melted and everything is bubbling, about 40 minutes.
• Remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes.
• Take it out of the oven and let it sit about 10 minutes before cutting.

ONE SHEET CRISPY EGGPLANT PARM

Steps:

• Put a baking sheet on the bottom rack of the oven and preheat to 500 degrees F. Position a wire rack over a second baking sheet and set aside.
• Mix the panko and Parmesan in a shallow bowl and season with salt and pepper. Season both sides of the eggplant with salt and pepper. Dip only one side of the eggplant slices first in the beaten egg, then in the breadcrumb mixture to coat. Transfer to the wire rack.
• Carefully remove the baking sheet from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Pour the oil directly onto the hot baking sheet. Working quickly, place the eggplant slices panko-side down onto the oiled baking sheet. Dollop sauce directly on the center of each eggplant slice, then top with a nice slice of mozzarella (drape it over the sides of the eggplant for legendary crispy bits). Put immediately back on the bottom rack of the oven and bake until the bottoms are golden brown and the tops are melted and bubbly, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Garnish each eggplant medallion with a basil leaf. Serve immediately, either individually or in a giant stack.

EGGPLANT PARMESAN LIGHT

Steps:

• Slice eggplant into 1/4 inch rounds, discarding stem.
• Spray large skillet with cooking spray. Heat skillet to medium-high. Brown eggplant slices in skillet, turning after 2 minutes.
• Mix tomato sauce, Parmesan cheese, 2 Tablespoons Italian Seasoning, and black pepper in a small mixing bowl.
• Spread a thin layer of sauce mixture on the bottom of a 8 or 9 inch square baking dish. Add a layer of eggplant. Cover eggplant with 1/4 Cup Mozzarella cheese.
• Repeat layers twice more: sauce, eggplant, cheese.
• Pulse bread in blender or food processor to make medium course bread crumbs. Toast crumbs in hot skillet, stirring frequently to prevent burning. (Or toast bread before processing.) Combine bread crumbs with remaining Italian Seasoning. Layer seasoned crumbs on top of casserole.
• Cover and refrigerate until ready to cook, or cook immediately.
• Bake in oven at 350°F, uncovered, for approximately 45 minutes (or until bubbly).

EGGPLANT PARMESAN BOATS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Halve the eggplant, then use a paring knife to cut vertical and horizontal slits into the flesh about 3/4-inch apart. (You want to create crosshatches across the whole surface without piercing the skin on the other side.) Place the halves on the lined baking sheet flesh-side up.
• Spread a tablespoon of olive oil over each of the halves, then sprinkle both with the Italian seasoning, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Roast until the eggplant is softened and golden brown on top, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the eggplant from the oven and spread 1/4 cup marinara on each half, then top with the cheeses. Return to the oven and bake until the cheese is golden and bubbling, another 8 to 10 minutes. Allow to cool slightly before serving.

CHEESY EGGPLANT PARMESAN CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• Brush about 2 tablespoons olive oil onto eggplant slices; arrange in a single layer in a shallow baking dish.
• Bake in the preheated oven until eggplant is tender and browned, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove eggplant from oven and reduce temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet or frying pan over medium heat; cook and stir onion, mushrooms, and garlic until onion is softened, 5 to 10 minutes. Add tomato sauce, basil, and oregano; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until sauce is slightly reduced, about 10 minutes; season with salt and pepper.
• Arrange about 1/2 the eggplant slices in a 2-quart casserole dish; top with 1/2 the sauce, 1/2 the mozzarella cheese, and 1/2 the Parmesan cheese. Repeat layering with the remaining ingredients.
• Bake in the preheated oven until hot and bubbling, about 25 minutes. Cool for about 5 minutes before serving.

EGGPLANT PARMESAN PASTA

Steps:

• In a high-sided large (12-inch) skillet with a lid, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium. Add panko, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring constantly, until golden and crispy, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Set a large pot of salted water to boil.
• Wipe out the skillet and heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in garlic until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add eggplant and drizzle over the remaining ¼ cup oil. Season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until eggplant is softened, about 8 minutes. Add in tomato paste and stir constantly until lightly caramelized on the bottom of the skillet, about 2 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes, basil sprig, oregano and 1½ cups of water, and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat.
• Cover the skillet and reduce heat to medium. Cook, stirring occasionally and smashing some of the eggplant, until the eggplant is very tender and the sauce is thickened, about 15 minutes. Discard the basil sprig.
• Meanwhile, in the large pot of water, cook pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve ½ cup of pasta water and drain.
• Add cooked pasta, reserved pasta water and the eggplant sauce to the large pasta cooking pot, and cook over medium heat, stirring, until sauce thickens and coats the pasta, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in ¼ cup of the chopped basil.
• Add Parmesan to the panko and mix well. Divide the pasta in bowls and top each with some of the mozzarella. Sprinkle over cheesy bread crumbs, and garnish with the remaining basil.

JAMIE OLIVER'S EGGPLANT PARMESAN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Brush both sides of eggplant slices with oil, and place in a single layer on two or more baking sheets. Bake until undersides are golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes, then turn and bake until other sides are lightly browned. Set aside. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees.
• Meanwhile, in a large saucepan over medium heat, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and add onion. Sauté until soft, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and dried oregano and sauté another 30 seconds. Add tomatoes and their juices, breaking up whole tomatoes with your hands. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 15 to 20 minutes.
• Add vinegar, basil and salt and pepper to taste. Into a 9-by-9-inch, 10-by-5-inch or 10-by-6-inch baking pan, spoon a small amount of tomato sauce, then add a thin scattering of parmigiano, then a single layer of eggplant. Repeat until all ingredients are used, ending with a little sauce and a sprinkling of parmigiano. In a small bowl, combine bread crumbs and oregano, if using, with just enough olive oil to moisten. Sprinkle on top. If desired, recipe can be made to this point and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before baking.
• Bake until eggplant mixture is bubbly and center is hot, 30 to 45 minutes depending on size of pan and thickness of layers. Remove from heat and allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving. Recipe can also be reheated.