EatingWell's Eggplant Parmesan

Rating: 4.87 stars
45 Ratings
  • 5 star values: 39
  • 4 star values: 6
  • 3 star values: 0
  • 2 star values: 0
  • 1 star values: 0

Here we bake breaded eggplant for crispy results with fewer calories to boot. This makeover of the classic recipe was originally developed by our Test Kitchen in 1995 and got an update in 2020 for our 30th anniversary issue.

EatingWell Test Kitchen
Source: EatingWell Magazine, September/October 1995; October 2020 30th Anniversary

Gallery

Read the full recipe after the video.

Recipe Summary

active:
25 mins
total:
45 mins
Servings:
6
Nutrition Profile:
Low-Calorie
High Fiber
Vegetarian
High Calcium
Bone Health
Healthy Aging
Healthy Immunity
Low Added Sugars
Nutrition Info
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Ingredients

Directions

  • Position racks in middle and lower thirds of oven; preheat to 400°F. Coat 2 baking sheets and a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.

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  • Whisk eggs and water in a shallow bowl. Mix breadcrumbs, 1/4 cup Parmesan and Italian seasoning in another shallow dish. Dip eggplant in the egg mixture, then coat with the breadcrumb mixture, gently pressing to adhere.

  • Arrange the eggplant in a single layer on the prepared baking sheets. Generously spray both sides of the eggplant with cooking spray. Bake, flipping the eggplant and switching the pans between racks halfway, until the eggplant is tender and lightly browned, about 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

  • Meanwhile, mix tomato sauce, basil, garlic and crushed red pepper in a medium bowl.

  • Spread about 1/2 cup of the sauce in the prepared baking dish. Arrange half the eggplant slices over the sauce. Spoon 1 cup sauce over the eggplant and sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan and 1/2 cup mozzarella. Top with the remaining eggplant, sauce and cheese.

  • Bake until the sauce is bubbling and the top is golden, 20 to 30 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with more basil before serving, if desired.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 1/2 cups
Per Serving:
241 calories; protein 14g; carbohydrates 28g; dietary fiber 6g; sugars 9g; fat 9g; saturated fat 4g; cholesterol 83mg; vitamin a iu 1227.9IU; vitamin c 44.7mg; folate 84.7mcg; calcium 209.4mg; iron 1.9mg; magnesium 53.4mg; potassium 761mg; sodium 553mg; thiamin 0.3mg.
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Reviews (21)

Read More Reviews
45 Ratings
  • 5 star values: 39
  • 4 star values: 6
  • 3 star values: 0
  • 2 star values: 0
  • 1 star values: 0
Reviews:
Most Helpful Most Positive Least Positive Newest
EatingWell User
Rating: 5 stars
10/30/2011
every1 in my family LOVES this! YAY eggplant. Read More
Jacqueline Madsen
Rating: 4 stars
01/22/2018
I added fresh garlic (pressed) oregano and dried parsley to the tomato sauce. Also used two 15-oz cans of sauce (no salt added). Used 1 1/2 eggplants as they were huge and I have smaller Pyrex dish. It was very tasty and I like the method of baking the eggplant much better than the old method of frying. Delish! Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 4 stars
01/14/2014
Flavorful and easier than the traditional eggplant parmesan I cut this in half and used one med-large eggplant. It's lighter and without having to fry the eggplant slices it's much easier than the traditional recipe. I didn't have mozzarella but did have monterey jack cheese which worked just fine. Will make again.--But it should tell you to salt and press the eggplant slices in advance to remove bitter juice! Pros: lower calorie and less messy Read More
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spacegirllost@gmail.com
Rating: 5 stars
10/29/2011
SO GOOD This exceeding my expectations in every single way. The eggplant after baking was perfectly crisp and seasoned. I doubted the taste of the sauce w/ just basil so I added a wee bit of italian seasoning w/o salt and that combined with the eggplant was through the roof. This is going straight to the top of my favorites! Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 5 stars
10/30/2011
This was SO good! My husband said it tasted just as good as any restaurant eggplant parm - which would easily be 2 or 3 x the calories and fat. Well done! Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 4 stars
06/29/2013
Make your own bread crumbs with fresh gsrlic and basil! With my own home made spaghetti sauce.....it was outrageous! Read More
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I love Lemons
Rating: 5 stars
02/25/2018
I have made this recipe several times and I love it! Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 5 stars
10/30/2011
Awesome recipe! I ended up using nutritional yeast in the breadcrumb mixture instead of cheese and the flavor was still fabulous. Read More
Kathy Lien Kohr
Rating: 5 stars
04/12/2013
Cut calories more with Panko Really great recipe. My husband raved about it all night. Definitely make with panko instead of breadcrumbs - alot less calories and better crunch! Try to get flavored panko if possible. This recipe rivals some of the best eggplant parms I've had without the grease. I utterly adore it and will add it into my usual rotation Pros: Delicious! Read More
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