Baked Eggplant Italiano Recipe

Read reviews (2)

Rate recipe

“When my husband I decided that we wanted to lose weight, I created this main dish as a downsized substitute to lasagna,” Traci Chatterton recalls from Windsor, New York. “It’s fast, easy and cleans up in no time. And it makes a great dinner after a busy day at the office.”

This recipe is:

Diabetic Friendly

[X]

Rate Baked Eggplant Italiano Recipe

Click on stars to rate

Would you make this recipe again?

Write a review

[X]

Baked Eggplant Italiano Recipe

Prep: 30 min. Bake: 30 min.

Yield: 6 Servings

30 30 60

Ingredients

2 small eggplants, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch slices
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon pepper, divided
2 small tomatoes, finely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 package (6 ounces) fresh baby spinach
1 cup reduced-fat ricotta cheese
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 cups garden-style pasta sauce

Directions

Brush both sides of eggplant slices with 2 tablespoons oil; sprinkle with garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Grill, covered, over medium heat or broil 4-6 in. from the heat for 2-3 minutes on each side. Set aside.
In a large skillet, saute the tomatoes, onion, Italian seasoning, and remaining salt and pepper in remaining oil. Add spinach; cook 1 minute longer. Add spinach; stir until wilted. Combine the ricotta, 1/2 cup mozzarella and egg; stir into tomato mixture.
Arrange eggplant in a single layer in a 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Top with tomato mixture and pasta sauce. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella.
Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until bubbly. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving. Yield: 6 servings.

Nutritional Facts 1 serving equals 275 calories, 15 g fat (4 g saturated fat), 60 mg cholesterol, 885 mg sodium, 25 g carbohydrate, 7 g fiber, 13 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 2 vegetable, 2 fat, 1 starch, 1 lean meat.

Originally published as Baked Eggplant Italiano in Simple & Delicious July/August 2006, p53