Low Fat Eggplant Parmesan

02/28/13 - Dear Readers:  I have made a correction to this recipe.  I accidentally used some of the instructions from another recipe that I sometimes make.  In this low fat version there is no frying involved, only baking.  Sorry!


I love, love, love eggplant parmesan (my BIL's is the best), but usually the recipes I find use a huge amount of oil.  When you fry eggplant it will soak up oil like a sponge.  So I decided to create a lower fat version with some big flavor pay off.

Slice two small eggplants and two zucchini into slices 1/4 inch thick.  I like to peel the eggplant first, but you don't have to.  Layer in a colander, liberally salting (kosher salt) each layer.  Let sit in sink for an hour.  This removes the moisture that would cause the casserole to get soggy and removes some of the bitterness from the eggplant.

Breading:  Container 1 - 1 cup flour, 1 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper
Container 2 -  4 eggs, beaten with fork
Container 3 -  2 cups bread crumbs, 1/4 cup parmesan, 4 Tbsp.  olive oil mixed in with fingers to make a crumbly mixture.

Rinse the eggplant and zucchini thoroughly with water.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Bread eggplant and zucchini by dredging in flour, then egg wash, then in bread crumbs.  Place on parchment lined baking pans.  Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown.  Don't cook it completely as it will continue to cook in the casserole.

Sorry for the awful picture.

Grease a 13" x 9" casserole with oil.  Coat bottom with small amount of your favorite marinara sauce, then start layering.  Layer eggplant or zucchini, then sauce, parmesan and mozzarella.  Continue until the casserole is full, ending with a layer of sauce, parmesan and mozzarella.

Bake covered in a 375 degree F oven for 30 minutes.  Uncover and bake another 15 minutes.  Let sit for ten minutes then serve.

Didn't get a picture until after the family descended upon it.

This is a labor intensive meal, but it can be done in advance and kept in the refrigerator before baking.  We ate three meals from this hearty casserole.  Enjoy!

God bless,
Pam