Italian food is one of the most popular cuisines, but it’s not exactly known for being healthy or diet-friendly. You can still enjoy your favorite meals by making some easy adjustments and this eggplant Parmesan recipe is lower-calorie, lower-fat, and easier to make than regular eggplant Parmesan. There’s still plenty of cheese, tomato sauce, and breadcrumbs in this recipe, so you won’t feel like you’re missing out.
Ingredients:
- 2 1-pound eggplants
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup marinara sauce
- 3/4 cup part-skim mozzarella cheese
- 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, shredded
Instructions:
- Preheat broiler to high. Line a sheet pan with foil.
- Cut each eggplant in half lengthwise and with a scoring knife, score the flesh side of each eggplant half in a cross-hatch pattern. Make sure not to cut through the skin.
- Place the eggplant halves on a microwave-safe plate and cover them with damp paper towels. Microwave on high for about 8 minutes or until eggplant is tender when pierced with a knife.
- Place the eggplant halves, flesh side up, on a prepared pan and brush them with oil. Season them with a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Broil until lightly browned, for about 3 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and spread 1/4 cup marinara sauce over each eggplant half and top them with 3 tablespoons of mozzarella.
- In a small bowl, combine panko and Parmesan. Sprinkle the mixture over the mozzarella.
- Broil until mozzarella melts and breadcrumbs are lightly browned, about 1-2 minutes.
