Roasted Eggplant Parmigiano - Lightened & Low-Fat!

 

There is nothing more delicious than a layer to golden eggplant slices sauced with fresh tomatoes, basil and topped with melted cheese!

We wanted to take our Moms recipe for her eggplant parmigiano and reduce the fat and calories by roasting the eggplant in the oven instead of pan-fried, and without sacrificing taste. 

Simple and easy to do.  We decided to cut large layers of eggplant and roasted them for 15 minutes on both sides. Then instead of making a casserole like Mom,  we decided to layer them individually creating these little mini eggplant parmigiano. And, they turned out better than we expected!

Roasted eggplant parmigiano are light, delicious, and low in fat! 

Great for weight watchers points!  Serve with a soup and salad and turn this dish into a healthy main course for a light and meatless dinner. Enjoy!

 

Roasted Eggplant Parmigiano- Lightened & Low-Fat!

• 2 eggplants -cut into 1/2 inch thick (about 22 slices)
• olive oil cooking spray
• 1 can (28 ounce) whole or crushed tomatoes
• 5 garlic cloves - chopped
• 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper
• a handful of fresh basil
• 2 Tbsp. grated percorino cheese
• 2 Tbsp. grated parmigiano cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Lightly spray a large  roasting pan with cooking spray.

 

Place the eggplant side by side and roast for 15 minutes. Turn them over and roast for 15 minutes longer. Remove from oven.

In the meantime, in a large skillet, heat olive oil, add the garlic and red pepper. Saute for a few minutes until the garlic is golden. Add the can of tomatoes, salt and basil.
Lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring, until it thickened.
Turn off heat.

 

Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees.  In the same roasting pan or in a shallow baking dish, layer one of each eggplant slice with tomato sauce, and mozzarella,  sprinkle each with percorino cheese.

Repeat with the second layer on top, add some sauce,  sprinkle with parmigiano cheese and then some shredded mozzarella cheese on top.

 

Bake for 20 - 25 minutes, or  until the top is golden. Remove from oven let stand for a few minutes before serving.

Yields: 11 mini eggplant parmigianos