Baked Eggplant Parmesan
A simple and healthy recipe for baked eggplant parmesan. Based on Jamie Oliver's recipe, this uses roasted eggplant that is layered and baked.
Servings: 6
Calories: 440kcal
Equipment
- 2 baking sheets
- 1 large baking dish 9x9; 10x5 or similar sized
Ingredients
To Grill the Eggplant
- 3 medium eggplant cut crosswise into 1/2 inch slices
- 1/2 cup olive oil plus more for sauce
To Make the Tomato Sauce
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large onion chopped finely
- 1 large garlic clove finely minced
- 1.5 teaspoons oregano dried
- 28 ounce crushed tomatoes or whole tomatoes crushed (I used canned)
- 1/2 cup basil leaves use fresh or frozen
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar or balsamic
- salt and pepper to taste
To Assemble the Eggplant Parmesan
- 1 1/4 cups grated parmesan
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
- basil for garnishing, optional
Instructions
To Roast the Eggplant
- Preheat oven to 450F and position oven racks in bottom third of the oven. I needed 2 baking sheets for this recipe.
- Brush each side of the eggplant slices with olive oil and then place on baking sheet. Bake for about 10 to 15 and then flip each piece. The goal is to have each side lightly browned. Remove from oven.
- Reduce oven temperature to 375F in preparation of baking the assembled eggplant dish.
To Make the Tomato Sauce
- In a large saucepan over medium heat. add about 2 tablespoons of olive oil and saute onions for about 10 minutes until softened. Add garlic and saute for about 30 seconds.
- Then add oregano and tomatoes. Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes. Add a little water if necessary before simmering if it's too thick.
- Finish by adding red wine vinegar, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste, and adding fresh basil.
To Assemble and Bake the Eggplant Parmesan
- Begin to assemble the eggplant parmesan by layering some tomato sauce on the bottom of your baking dish followed by parmesan and then the eggplant.
- Repeat this layering for a total of about 3 layers (depending on size of your baking dish).
- Top with breadcrumbs and drizzle a little olive oil on top.
- Bake for 30 to 45 minutes depending on size of your dish and then let rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with chopped basil if desired.
Notes
- Roasting the eggplant on the bottom third of the oven ensures crispy eggplant.
- Use good quality tomatoes; the sauce is really important to the overall flavor.
- Use a good quality parmesan. Pass on the room temperature jarred stuff.
- Use of good quality olive oil to impart the best flavor.
Nutrition
Calories: 440kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 18mg | Sodium: 1014mg | Potassium: 1533mg | Fiber: 18g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 673IU | Vitamin C: 19mg | Calcium: 723mg | Iron: 21mg