Eggplant is one of those foods where you either love it or you hate it. But if you happen to be one of the few on the fence, I urge you to try this recipe, and don’t skip the salting step. It helps take some of the bitter taste away.

This is a healthier version of the traditional Eggplant Parmesan because you bake the eggplant pieces instead of frying them. Thanks to my friend Devon’s cousin, Kara, for passing the recipe along. I actually made my own modifications based on similar versions I’ve made previously, and I think the combination turned out great!

The amounts I used in this recipe were perfect for a square baking dish. Feel free to increase the amounts to make them in a full-sized casserole dish if you’re cooking for a crowd or want leftovers. Also, since I was making this for Devon who can’t eat gluten, I used brown rice flour and gluten-free breadcrumbs. (By the way, we are planning an entire Gluten-free meal for “G” week!)

Slice
eggplant into 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick slices, arrange in a large colander
over the sink, and sprinkle a little salt on each slice. You can even
weigh them down with a plate and heavy cans to draw out maximum
moisture. Let them drain for at least 30 minutes, then blot with paper
towels, and brush off excess salt.

  
Breading the eggplant basically involves three “stations.” A flour mixture, an egg wash, and a breading mixture. As you know by now, I love kitchen tools, so I felt it necessary to buy this set of trays from Williams-Sonoma for all of my recipes that call for breading. Normal egg washes use water, but I decided to use olive oil to help with the browning of the bread crumbs. Feel free to use water to make it a little healthier.

One
at a time, dredge eggplant slices in flour, then the egg wash, then the
breadcrumbs, shaking to remove excess. Place on parchment-lined baking
sheet, and bake for about 7-10 minutes on each side until golden brown. While these are baking, caramelize the onions, garlic, and mushrooms.

To assemble: coat baking dish with cooking spray or olive oil, and spread about a cup marinara sauce in the bottom. Layer
half of eggplant slices over sauce. Top with about half of the onion mixture, 1
cup pasta sauce, and half of the mozzarella. If you’re a pesto lover, add a layer of it in the middle and then repeat the rest of the layers once, and
sprinkle with Parmesan.

Increase oven to 400 degrees. Bake, uncovered for about 20-25 minutes, or until hot and bubbly and cheese is melted. Garnish with basil and serve.  

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