Totally Roasted Eggplant Parmesan

Why is this a Foodgasm?

Once again I am focusing on the simple pleasures in life. You know, those comfort classics that make you feel happy and all snuggley when you had a bad day? We all gravitate to them for several reasons. For me I am half Italian, so this sort of food was always around since my childhood. Eggplant Parmesan makes me think of this simpler time. That time where there was no mortgage or bills and someone else worried about all the day to day needs of my life. It is also incredibly delicious with that perfect balance of acidic from the marinara and the creamy and salty base of the cheese, especially the fresh mozzarella.

Comfort your taste buds without the guilt of breaded fried eggplant cutlets. I just sliced, salted and roasted my eggplant and it had so much rich flavor! Why cover it up with breading? Why add all the fat of frying when you can bring out the natural sweetness of eggplant!

The eggplant and everything in this recipe was actually locally grown and roasted in the oven. See the picture from my farmer's market post, those were some big eggplants for a buck! From the garlic to the eggplant everything was roasted to bring out the natural sugars present in everything- aka making magic happen in your mouth!

What you need

1-2 large eggplants sliced lengthwise to desired thickness (I like the slices thin, but not thin enough that they can fall apart when you are trying to take them off the pan)
1 recipe totally roasted marinara
1 cup shredded part skim mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
.5 lbs of fresh mozzarella sliced for top layer

How to make it

1- Preheat oven to 415˚
2- Line a baking sheet or two with nonstick aluminum foil and spray with EVOO.
3- Place eggplant slices on and salt them, let them sit there salted an hour to dry out a bit.
4- Prepare totally roasted marinara according to directions.
5- Place eggplant slices in oven and bake about 20-25 minutes may be a bit more if you have thicker slices.
6- In a baking pan arrange slices as you would lasagna noodles with some marinara on the bottom first.
7- one one layer is arrange add enough marinara to cover the layer and enough shredded parm and mozzarella to cover that layer.
8- Repeat process until you reach the top layer where you will add marinara and fresh mozzarella slices.

Slice up and serve! If desired it can be paired with pasta.

 

Nutritional Information

This makes a very generous portion size for 8 WW points plus.