Name: EatingWell's Eggplant Parmesan
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: Canola or olive oil cooking spray; 2 large eggs; 2 tablespoons water; 1 cup panko breadcrumbs; 0.75 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided; 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning; 2 medium eggplants (about 2 pounds total), cut crosswise into ¼-inch-thick slices; 0.5 teaspoon salt; 0.5 teaspoon ground pepper; 1 (24 ounce) jar no-salt-added tomato sauce; 0.25 cup fresh basil leaves, torn, plus more for serving; 2 cloves garlic, grated; 0.5 teaspoon crushed red pepper; 1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided

Cook Time:

20 mins

Active Time:

25 mins

Total Time:

45 mins

Servings:

6

Yield:

6 servings

Nutrition Profile:

Bone Health Healthy Aging Healthy Immunity High Fiber Low Added Sugars Low-Calorie Vegetarian

Jump to Nutrition Facts

How To Make Eggplant Parmesan Healthy

Eggplant Parmesan is a comforting dish that's easy to make and with a few tweaks, it can be healthy too. Our eggplant Parmesan recipe features tender eggplant with a crispy crust, a flavorful tomato sauce and plenty of ooey-gooey cheese just like the classic version but with fewer calories, less fat and less sodium. Here's how we did it:

Skip the Frying

That crispy crust on the eggplant is usually the result of breading and frying eggplant slices in oil. We love that crispy crust and we take a different approach to achieve the same results. We bread our eggplant slices then spray them with cooking spray and bake them in the oven instead of frying them in the pan. Cooking spray distributes a light coating of oil evenly over the eggplant slices and doesn't soak up into the eggplant itself. This gets the breading nice and crispy, but slashes fat and calories.

Jazz Up Tomato Sauce

Tomato sauce is essential to a good eggplant Parmesan and you need plenty of it to keep the eggplant moist as it bakes. Tomato sauce can be high in sodium, which can lead to high blood pressure, so we opt for no-salt-added tomato sauce in our eggplant Parmesan. (Check out more ways to slash sodium in your diet here.) To boost the flavor we add fresh basil, garlic and crushed red pepper to the sauce so you won't miss the salt.

Use a Combo of Flavorful Cheeses

Mozzarella gives eggplant Parmesan that ooey-gooey melted cheese factor. We use part-skim mozzarella cheese instead of whole-milk mozzarella. It provides a silky, texture but keeps saturated fat to a minimum. Since we saved on sodium by using no-salt-added tomato sauce, we can boost the flavor of our cheese layer by adding Parmesan cheese to the mix. Parmesan adds salt where it counts, providing a rich and savory flavor throughout.

Additional reporting by Hilary Meyer

Ingredients

Canola or olive oil cooking spray
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons water
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
2 medium eggplants (about 2 pounds total), cut crosswise into ¼-inch-thick slices
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground pepper
1 (24 ounce) jar no-salt-added tomato sauce
¼ cup fresh basil leaves, torn, plus more for serving
2 cloves garlic, grated
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided

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.
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 (per serving)

241	Calories
9g	Fat
28g	Carbs
14g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 6
Calories 241
% Daily Value *
Total Carbohydrate 28g	10%
Dietary Fiber 6g	21%
Total Sugars 9g
Protein 14g	28%
Total Fat 9g	12%
Saturated Fat 4g	20%
Cholesterol 83mg	28%
Vitamin A 1228IU	25%
Vitamin C 45mg	50%
Folate 85mcg	21%
Sodium 553mg	24%
Calcium 209mg	16%
Iron 2mg	11%
Magnesium 53mg	13%
Potassium 761mg	16%

Nutrition information is calculated by a registered dietitian using an ingredient database but should be considered an estimate.

* Daily Values (DVs) are the recommended amounts of nutrients to consume each day. Percent Daily Value (%DV) found on nutrition labels tells you how much a serving of a particular food or recipe contributes to each of those total recommended amounts. Per the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the daily value is based on a standard 2,000 calorie diet. Depending on your calorie needs or if you have a health condition, you may need more or less of particular nutrients. (For example, it’s recommended that people following a heart-healthy diet eat less sodium on a daily basis compared to those following a standard diet.)

(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a special diet for medical reasons, be sure to consult with your primary care provider or a registered dietitian to better understand your personal nutrition needs.