Give Me More Flavor, Not More Fat

I love Italian food. My hips, unfortunately, seem to love it even more.

Some time ago, the Dallas Morning News ran a recipe for a healthy version of one of my favorite dishes, Eggplant Parmesan. I tried it and it has achieved LIST ITEM status in our home. (List items=favorites that can be served as often as I feel like cooking them.)

I’m enjoying a leftover portion of Eggplant Parmesan right now. Yummy!

Ingredients

• 2 eggplants (approx 2 lb total)
• 3 large egg whites, or 1 large egg, whisked with ½ c. water
• 3 T. water
• 1 c. plain fine dry bread crumbs (I use Progresso)
• ½ t. salt
• ½ t. freshly ground black pepper
• 2 ½ c. prepared marinara sauce (I use Newman’s Own Marinara)
• 1/3 c. slivered fresh basil leaves or 1 T. dried basil
• ¼ t. crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 c. grated part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
• ½ c. grated Parmesan cheese, divided

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Lightly oil two large baking sheets and a 7-by-11-inch baking dish. Set aside. To make things even easier, instead of oiling the baking sheets, line them with parchment paper.
2. Slice the eggplants crosswise into ½ -inch-thick slices – no need to peel them. Set aside.
3. In a bowl, whisk the egg whites and water until frothy. Set aside.
4. In a shallow dish, combine the breadcrumbs, ¼ cup of the Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. One at a time, dip the eggplant slices into the egg-white mixture, then coat both sides with the breadcrumbs. Arrange the slices in a single layer on the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden and very tender when pierced with a knife.
5. Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine the marinara, basil and red pepper flakes. Spread about ½ cup of the sauce over the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
6. When the eggplant is done, arrange half the slices over the sauce, overlapping them slightly. Spoon 1 cup of the remaining sauce over the eggplant, then top with ½ cup of the mozzarella.
7. Arrange the remaining eggplant slices on top, pressing them down into an even layer. Top with the remaining sauce, mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Bake, uncovered, until the sauce bubbles and the top is browned, 25 to 30 minutes. Makes 6 servings.

Believe it or not – only 291 calories per serving!