Healthy Eggplant Parmesan that's easy, cheesy, and saucy! The kick of heat in the arrabbiata sauce pairs perfectly with the soft baked eggplant and melty mozzarella cheese.
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
Feel free to sub white beans for any other favorite type of bean - chickpeas or butter beans would be another great option
To keep the recipe keto friendly, leave out beans entirely
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