Light Eggplant Parmesan

Light Eggplant Parmesan

(Vegetarian)
Eggplant parmesan is usually made with fried eggplant, tons of mozzarella and parmesan. While delicious, the eggplant quickly becomes a sponge for the oil, and with the addition of mounds of cheese, you end up eating the mother load of all fat bombs. And why go for the bad fat when the good is just as tasty? Olive oil is rich in monosaturated fats, which help reduce bad cholesterol (ldl), and maintain your level of good cholesterol (hdl), improving the overall ratio of ldl to hdl which lowers your risk of heart disease. For this recipe, I've reduced the overall fat by baking the eggplant instead of frying it. I've also cut way down on saturated fats by using egg whites in place of whole eggs, cutting out the mozzerella, and reducing the parmesan cheese to just a sprinkling. It's enough to make your heart sing "That's amore!"

2 lbs. eggplant (about 2 medium eggplant)2 tsp. kosher salt 4 cups Panko bread crumbs (try Ian's Panko Breadcrumbs, original or whole wheat)4 tsp. oregano1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper1/2 tsp. black pepper, divided1 cup spelt flour (try Arrowhead Mills)1 cup egg whites6 Tbsp. olive oil3 1/2 cups simple tomato sauce (try Middle Earth Organics "Organic Tomato & Fresh Basil Sauce" the best jarred tomato sauce I've found)8 large basil leaves1/2 cup firmly packed grated parmesan cheesechopped basil (optional)

Slice eggplant into 1/4 inch thick rounds. Lay out on a large flat surface (large cutting boards, a baking board, or baking sheets all work well). Sprinkle with half the kosher salt. Flip, and sprinkle with other half of kosher salt. Layer eggplant in a colander and set over a large bowl to drain, 1 hour. Lay out several layers of paper towels, spread out eggplant slices in a single layer, top with more paper towel, and press down to absorb excess liquid. Cover two baking sheets with aluminum foil. Place both sheets in oven, each on its own rack, and preheat oven to 425 degrees. Put breadcrumbs in a shallow bowl and combine with oregano, cayenne pepper, and 1/4 tsp. black pepper. In a large ziplock bag, combine spelt flour and other 1/4 tsp. black pepper. Pour egg whites into a shallow bowl and beat with a fork or whisk until slightly frothy. Working in batches, place eggplant slices in bag with flour, shake to coat, remove, dip in egg whites, then dredge in breadcrumb mixture. Set aside onto a plate. Once you've coated all the eggplant, remove preheated baking sheets from oven, drizzle with 3 Tbsp. olive oil each, tilting to coat completely. Layout eggplant on sheets in a single layer. Cook 15 minutes, flip eggplant, rotate and switch trays, and cook 15 minutes more. Remove from oven. Spread 1 cup tomato sauce in bottom of 13x9 inch baking dish. Layer in half eggplant, overlapping as necessary.

Cover with 1 cup sauce. Layer in remaining eggplant. Drizzle remaining 1 1/2 cups of sauce. Lay out basil leaves over top. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup parmesan cheese. Readjust an oven rack to the middle of the oven. Bake eggplant parmesan 15 minutes. Let cool 10-15 minutes before serving. Serves 6.

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