Serves 6.
Note: Crispy baked eggplant slices are layered with tomato sauce and fresh mozzarella for a fun and sophisticated "stacked" presentation of this Italian classic. Panko breadcrumbs are bigger and lighter than regular breadcrumbs, which could be substituted. From Meredith Deeds.
• 4 tbsp. olive oil, divided
• 2 eggs
• 1 c. panko breadcrumbs (see Note)
• 1/2 c. finely grated Parmesan, divided
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 2 lb. (about 2 medium-sized) eggplant, trimmed and cut crosswise into 18 1/2-in. rounds
• 2 c. low-sodium store-bought or homemade marinara sauce
• 8 oz. fresh mozzarella, cut into 12 1/4-in. slices
Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Brush 2 baking sheets with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil each; set aside.
In a wide, shallow bowl, whisk together eggs and 2 tablespoons water. In another bowl, combine breadcrumbs, 1/4 cup Parmesan, salt and pepper.
Dip eggplant slices in egg mixture, letting excess drip off, then dredge in breadcrumb mixture; place on the prepared baking sheets. Drizzle a little of the remaining oil on top of each slice. Bake until golden brown on bottom, 15 to 20 minutes. Turn slices; continue baking until browned on other side, about 10 minutes more. Remove from oven; lower the oven heat to 400 degrees.
Lay out the 6 largest pieces of eggplant onto a lightly oiled baking sheet. (I just reuse one of the sheets I baked the slices on.) Smear a heaping tablespoon of marinara sauce over each piece and one slice of mozzarella on top of each. Top each with the next smallest piece of eggplant, then sauce, then mozzarella. Top with one more slice of eggplant and one more smear of sauce and a sprinkling of the remaining Parmesan on top. Place the pan in the oven and bake until the top of each little stack is golden brown and bubbly, about 10 minutes.
Nutrition information per serving:
Calories370Fat24 g
Sodium690 mgCarb23 g
Sat fat8 gCalcium420 mg
Protein19 gChol90 mg
Dietary fiber5 g
Diabetic exchanges per serving: 2 vegetable, 1 bread/starch, 1½ high-fat meat, 2½ fat.
