Settle in for a cozy feast with this Healthy Eggplant Parmesan that’s easy, cheesy, and oh so saucy! The kick of heat in the arrabbiata sauce pairs perfectly with the soft baked eggplant and melty mozzarella cheese. This gluten free eggplant parmesan is healthy comfort food to the max and a new favorite in our home.
I love how simple this eggplant parmesan is and you can adapt it for any type of lifestyle. It’s made with less than 10 ingredients and is already gluten, grain, and nut free. For a dairy free or vegan version simply swap the cheese and it can even be made keto if you leave out the beans. Now everyone can enjoy tasty parmesan and satisfy those cozy food cravings!
For more saucy meals packed with flavor, check these out! My Vegetarian Spaghetti Sauce Recipe is made with minimal ingredients and pairs SO well with pasta, zoodles, and more. Then my Easy Shakshuka pairs real well with some toasted bread and is perfect for brunch or truly any meal.
Ingredients
Eggplant – I love the texture of this grilled eggplant and how it takes on the flavor of everything else.
Tomato Sauce – The sauce I used for this gluten free eggplant parmesan was the Primal Kitchen Arrabbiata Sauce. It gives great Italian inspired flavor and is made with better-for-you ingredients. That being said, feel free to sub whatever tomato sauce you have on hand!
White Beans – Adds a good bite of texture and extra protein to this healthy eggplant parmesan. You can sub for any type of beans available or leave out entirely.
Olive Oil – Brushing with olive oil helps the eggplant crisp up and adds flavor.
Mozzarella Cheese – Melts perfectly into the parmesan but you can always use another cheese or a vegan option.
Basil/Parsley – An easy topping that adds a burst of fresh green flavor.
How to Make Gluten Free Eggplant Parmesan
- Lightly salt each side of eggplant slices and allow to drain on edge in strainer for 20-30 minutes. Using a paper towel, pat dry salted slices and brush each side generously with olive oil.
- In a large frypan or griddle, brown eggplant on both sides over medium heat (~8-10 min. each side).
- Using a deep casserole dish (I used a deeper 9” x 13” dish), pour 1 cup of tomato sauce on bottom of casserole. Spread ½ of canned white beans over tomato sauce. Place a layer of browned eggplant, without overlapping. Spread 1 Cup of shredded mozzarella cheese over eggplant.
- Repeat tomato sauce, white beans, eggplant and cheese layers.
- Finish by topping with a final layer of tomato sauce and 1 ball of fresh mozzarella, torn into small pieces.
- Bake at 350F for 30-40 minutes, or until the cheese is nicely browned and the contents are bubbly. Allow to sit for 10 minutes before serving.
- Optional, but top with fresh chopped basil or parsley and red pepper flakes before serving. Enjoy!
Vegan Eggplant Parmesan
While I love good and melty mozzarella cheese I also understand if you want a vegan version. It’s easy to make the swap to a dairy-free cheese and maybe even try different types of cheese.
Daiya makes a great plant based shredded mozzarella and cheddar cheese that would well work for this easy eggplant parmesan. Another good option is Violife vegan cheese, the shredded mozzarella and cheddar especially.
Keto Eggplant Parmesan
I’m not one to follow any sort of diet or food label but if you do, this is for you! It’s already gluten free and can be made dairy free with a simple swap to vegan cheese. Then to make a keto eggplant parmesan it’s as simple as leaving out the white beans. You could also sub for meat of your choice such as chicken, sausage, or a red meat.
What is Arrabbiata Sauce?
The difference between a typical tomato sauce and arrabbiata all comes down to the flavor. I love when sauces have a kick of heat and arrabbiata is certainly one of those!
The sauce I used was from Primal Kitchen and gives such a burst of flavor to this easy eggplant parmesan. The crushed red chiles and oregano elevates the marinara while remaining free of added sugar, soy, and more!
It’s great for an easy sauce and is healthy too. Plus I love the quality of ingredients because it adds to the depth of flavor. The best of both worlds!
How Do You Make Eggplant Parmesan Not Soggy?
Nobody wants a soggy eggplant parmesan am I right? The key to firm and crisper eggplant is removing any extra moisture. I do this by slicing the eggplant, spreading the rounds out, then sprinkling salt overtop. The salt pulls out any extra moisture that would usually make for soggy eggplant. Additionally, since this eggplant isn’t breaded, you don’t have to worry about this part of the traditional recipe!
Once the eggplant and salt has sat for 20-30 minutes I then pat it dry with paper towels. It’s the final step to removing as much moisture as possible. After that I coat the rounds in olive oil and cook until eggplant is soft.
It’s important to do these steps beforehand because otherwise the moisture of the tomato sauce + natural moisture of the eggplant will add unwanted liquid to the recipe. Removing the excess moisture in advance allows for the eggplant to simply soften while baking with the tomato sauce. And that’s how you make a delicious and healthy eggplant parmesan!
How to Store Healthy Eggplant Parmesan
One of the many reasons I love this baked eggplant parmesan recipe is that it makes great leftovers. Whether your’e making this as part of your weekly meal prep or as a quick mid-week dinner, leftover parmesan is the best!
The trick with saucy meals like this is that the leftovers have even more time to settle and absorb the flavors. I love reheating any sort of saucy meal and this eggplant parmesan is great for it.
So whether you prep ahead or just need to store the leftovers, it’s simple to do. You can cover the baking dish of easy eggplant parmesan with an airtight seal like aluminum foil, saran wrap, or a fitted lid. You can also let the eggplant parmesan cool completely in the fridge to thicken before cutting into slices and stashing it away pre-sliced.
If you’re freezing the leftover eggplant parmesan then I definitely recommend you do so with individual pieces. That way you can easily thaw the slices in the fridge or reheat in the microwave or oven. We all have our freezer dessert stash so how about adding some savory meals in there too 🙂
For more tomato inspired dishes check out my Creamy Vegan Roasted Tomato Sauce that pairs perfectly with pasta and roasted veggies for an easy healthy meal. And my Tomato Coconut Curry is simple and bursting with flavor, the perfect meal for a cozy night in. Not to mention, both of these recipes are great for easy comfort food that you can also prep ahead.
If you try this recipe, please let me know by leaving a comment and rating in the boxes below! I always love to hear from you and it helps other people find this recipe when they search online for the BEST Healthy Eggplant Parmesan 🙂
Ingredients
- 2-3 ea Med. Eggplant sliced 1/2” – ¾” thick
- Salt
- 3 Cups Tomato sauce your favorite homemade or jar
- 1 Can White beans or other bean, drained
- 1/3 cup Olive oil for brushing
- 2 Cups Mozzarella cheese grated
- 1 ball fresh mozzarella torn into piece for topping
- Fresh basil or parsley – optional for topping
- Red pepper flakes – optional for topping
Instructions
- Lightly salt each side of eggplant slices and allow to drain on edge in strainer for 20-30 minutes. Using a paper towel, pat dry salted slices and brush each side generously with olive oil.
- In a large frypan or griddle, brown eggplant on both sides over medium heat (~8-10 min. each side).
- Using a deep casserole dish (I used a deeper 9” x 13” dish), pour 1 cup of tomato sauce on bottom of casserole. Spread ½ of canned white over tomato sauce. Place a layer of browned eggplant, without overlapping. Spread 1 Cup of shredded mozzarella cheese over eggplant.
- Repeat tomato sauce, white beans, eggplant and cheese layers.
- Finish by topping with a final layer of tomato sauce and 1 ball of fresh mozzarella, torn into small pieces.
- Bake at 350F for 30-40 minutes, or until the cheese is nicely browned and the contents are bubbly. Allow to sit for 10 minutes before serving.
- Optional, but top with fresh chopped basil or parsley and red pepper flakes before serving. Enjoy!
Notes
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Loved this recipe. The white beans are such a great addition.
I made half of the dish with cheese and the other half without and both were delicious. Thank you.
This was delicious and so easy to make. The leftovers were even better, my husband loved it!
Isn’t this recipe so dang easy?? So glad to hear you and your husband loved it, Leslie!! 🙂
– Casey