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    Hungry Healthy Happy » Recipes » Vegetarian

    Healthy Eggplant Parmesan

    Published: Mar 11, 2020 · Modified: Feb 27, 2021 · Written by Dannii Martin · This post may contain affiliate links · 76 Comments

    904 shares
    • 286
    Diet: Gluten Free / Vegetarian
    Jump to Recipe
    A tray of eggplant parmesan with a text title overlay.

    This Eggplant Parmesan is a classic comforting Italian dish makes great use of the wonderful purple vegetable. Gooey cheese on top of a delicious homemade tomato sauce with eggplant (aubergine) halves as the base. A great dish to boost your veggie intake, and fancy enough to wow guests too. No breading, no frying, just healthy comfort food!

    Eggplant Parmesan in a baking tray. A portion removed and put on a plate.

    Whether you call them eggplants or aubergines, they are delicious and there is so much that you can do with them. We love their meaty texture and although they are usually great for bulking out a meal, they are the star of the show here. A delicious tomato pasta sauce layered on top and covered in melty cheese. Comfort food perfection!

    If you are looking for more aubergine recipes, try our easy Aubergine Salad or for something a little different, why not try our delicious Aubergine Pizza?

    Jump to:
    • Why you will love it
    • Ingredients needed
    • How to make Eggplant Parmesan - Step by step
    • Is it healthy?
    • How to stop aubergine being bitter
    • What to serve it with
    • FAQs
    • Extra tips
    • More Italian recipes
    • Recipe
    • Feedback

    Why you will love it

    • Healthy Italian comfort food
    • A delicious new way to enjoy aubergines
    • You can easily add some extra veggies to it
    • Perfect for a dinner party
    • It can be a starter or a main

    Ingredients needed

    All the ingredients needed for this recipe with text overlay labels.
    • Aubergines (eggplant) - The star of this dish! Look for aubergines with smooth, shiny skin that are all the same colour and heavy for their size. To test for ripeness, lightly press a finger against the skin. If it leaves an imprint, the aubergine is ripe. Choose smaller aubergines, as they tend to be sweeter, less bitter, have thinner skin and less seeds.
    • Pasta sauce - We have included the recipe for our easy homemade tomato sauce, however you can use a store bought one. Try to use the best quality you can buy, as you really will be able to taste the difference.
    • Basil - A little fresh basil before serving will really lighten up the whole dish.
    • Parmesan and Mozzarella - We used a a mixture of cheese, as it makes it deliciously creamy.

    A full ingredients list with measurements is in the recipe card below.

    How to make Eggplant Parmesan - Step by step

    One: Slice the aubergines in half length ways and make diagonal scores across the insides.

    Two eggplants sliced in half and scored diagonally.

    Two: Top with the Easy Tomato Pasta Sauce.

    Four eggplant halves in a baking tin smothered in a tomato sauce.

    Three: Add the cheese.

    A roasting tin containing four aubergine halves covered in tomato sauce and crated cheese.

    Four: Put in a preheated oven at 200°C/400°F/Gas 6 for 40 minutes, until the aubergine is cooked through. Top with fresh basil to serve.

    Four cooked aubergine halves covered in sauce and melted cheese.

    Is it healthy?

    Traditionally this recipe has a tonne of cheese and is then topped with breadcrumbs. We used less cheese, and reduced fat, and skipped the breadcrumbs.

    You could also bulk it out with loads of extra vegetables, because, why not?! Spinach is easy to chop into the tomato sauce and although it is a bit of a random addition to it, and I am sure any Italians reading this are screaming at their computer screen, it totally works.

    Also, aubergine is a good source of fibre, vitamins B1, B6 and K and also potassium. So, even more reason to make this delicious dish.

    A baking tray with eggplant parmesan and a large serving spoon.

    How to stop aubergine being bitter

    What I love about this dish is how easy it is to put together, however, if you usually find aubergine dishes too bitter, then you might want to add an extra step to this recipe.

    To remove some of the bitterness from aubergine, simply sprinkle the halves with a LOT of salt, put them on some sheets of paper towel and leave them there for about an hour. You will start to see little bits of liquid, almost like beads of sweat, appear on the outside of the eggplant as the salt starts to pull all the moisture out. Once the hour is up, rinse the salt off the eggplant and pat it dry and then follow the recipe as normal.

    What to serve it with

    Well, it is a classic Italian dish, so pasta or gnocchi is always a great choice. But you could just serve it with some protein like grilled chicken or salmon. It's a pretty rich and filling dish, so we usually just have it with a big green salad and some fresh bread.

    Eggplant parmesan on a plate with a fork.

    FAQs

    Can eggplant Parmesan be frozen?

    Yes, you can freeze this recipe, which makes it great for batch cooking. I would suggest freezing it in little foil trays, so you can just pop them in the oven once defrosted and brought to room temperature. 

    Can eggplant parmesan be made vegan?

    This is a really easy dish to make vegetarian (as Parmesan isn't always vegetarian), or even vegan. Simply swap the cheese for your favourite vegetarian or vegan alternative and follow the rest of the instructions as they are.

    Can eggplant parmesan be made in advance?

    Yes, this is an easy dish to make ahead of time. Just layer it all up and then put it in the fridge until you are ready to cook it. If you are adding breadcrumbs to yours, I would recommend leaving that until just before you put it in the oven, as they might go a bit soggy if put on in advance.
    If you are going to use salt to pull some of the moisture out first, I would definitely suggest doing that in advance, as it takes a while.
    Make sure you bring the dish to room temperature before putting it in the oven though, as it will change the cooking time and the dish might crack.

    heart icon

    Extra tips

    • If you want to make this really crispy, then add some breadcrumbs (panko work really well) on top of the cheese. It will change the nutritional information though.
    • Give this dish a veggie boost by chopping up some spinach and mixing it in to the tomato sauce.
    • If you wanted to make smaller versions of this, instead of using eggplant halves, you could slice it into rounds and put in a baking dish (with a little sauce at the bottom). This makes it great to serve up as a starter.

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      Creamy Leek Pasta
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    If you’ve tried this Healthy Eggplant Parmesan, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
    Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - Use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.

    Recipe

    A plate of Healthy Eggplant Parmesan next to a baking tray with more of it in.

    Healthy Eggplant Parmesan

    By: Dannii Martin
    This Eggplant Parmesan is a classic comforting Italian dish makes great use of the wonderful purple vegetable.
    A circular logo saying GF.
    Gluten Free
    An illustration of a v-shaped plant.
    Vegetarian
    4.93 from 53 votes
    Pin Print Save recipe Recipe saved!
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Italian
    Prep: 10 minutes mins
    Cook: 40 minutes mins
    Total: 50 minutes mins
    Servings: 2 people
    Calories: 229kcal
    Allergens:
    An illustration of a carton of milk.
    Dairy
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients

    • 2 Aubergine (eggplant)
    • 8 tablespoon Tomato pasta sauce
    • 10 g (0.5 cups) Fresh basil - chopped
    • 50 g (1.75 oz) Vegetarian Parmesan - grated
    • 50 g (1.75 oz) Light Mozzarella - grated

    Instructions

    • Preheat your oven to 200°C/180°C(fan)/400°F/Gas 6.
    • Slice 2 Aubergine (eggplant) in half length-ways and make diagonal scores across the insides.
    • Top with 8 tablespoon Tomato pasta sauce.
    • Add 50 g Vegetarian Parmesan and 50 g Light Mozzarella.
    • Put into the oven for 40 minutes until the aubergine is cooked through.
    • Top with 10 g Fresh basil.

    Recipe tips

    • If you want to make this really crispy, then add some breadcrumbs (panko work really well) on top of the cheese. It will change the nutritional information though.
    • Give this dish a veggie boost by chopping up some spinach and mixing it in to the tomato sauce.
    • If you wanted to make smaller versions of this, instead of using eggplant halves, you could slice it into rounds and put in a baking dish (with a little sauce at the bottom). This makes it great to serve up as a starter.

    Nutritional Information

    Serving: 1portion | Calories: 229kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 291mg | Potassium: 1835mg | Fiber: 15g | Sugar: 22g | Vitamin A: 5315IU | Vitamin C: 33.9mg | Calcium: 255mg | Iron: 4.5mg

    The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Charla @ That Girl Cooks Healthy

      March 22, 2020 at 11:40 am

      5 stars
      I'm really one dimensional when it comes to eggplant so looking forward to exploring this recipe when I get hold of some more eggplant. Thank you!

      Reply
    2. Eraj Siddiqui

      March 14, 2020 at 10:21 am

      I'm definitely try this out ! so good , thanks for sharing :)

      Reply
    3. Toni

      March 11, 2020 at 4:20 pm

      5 stars
      I really love how easy this is to make!! Love that you can make it ahead of time.

      Reply
    4. Erika

      March 11, 2020 at 4:11 pm

      5 stars
      This looks awesome. A great low-carb dinner idea!

      Reply
    5. Marie-Charlotte Chatelain

      March 11, 2020 at 3:17 pm

      5 stars
      I can make this comfort food feast using five ingredients only? That sounds AMAAAAAAZING!

      Reply
    6. Katie

      March 11, 2020 at 2:39 pm

      5 stars
      This looks great! Can't wait to try it.

      Reply
    7. Jessica Formicola

      March 11, 2020 at 2:25 pm

      5 stars
      My family loves eggplant parmesan! This recipe looks amazing and I can't wait to make it for dinner tonight!

      Reply
    8. Kavey

      April 29, 2016 at 6:15 pm

      5 stars
      I adore aubergines, and the are so versatile. Aubergine parmigiana is one of my favourites, this healthier version looks much lighter and more summery, really nice.

      Reply
    9. karrie @ Tasty Ever After

      April 26, 2016 at 8:21 pm

      5 stars
      Eggplant is one of my favorite veggies to cook for vegetarian main meals. It totally satisfies my meat craving. Also, if you get that job eating babaganoush all day every day, please let me know because I want one of those too! lol!

      Reply
    10. Anosa

      April 24, 2016 at 7:13 am

      I love eggplants and have them as often as I can, I will need to try this recipe when I return from my holidays. Thanks for sharing

      Reply
    11. Laura Hartley

      April 21, 2016 at 11:43 am

      I've never thought of aubergines as a good 'filler' in vegetarian dishes but I imagine it would bulk them out quite a bit! Am still experimenting with veggie dishes so will try adding some aubergines in :)

      Reply
    12. WhatLauraLoves

      April 21, 2016 at 2:40 am

      5 stars
      I love aubergine so would definitely love to try this out. It looks really homely xxx

      Reply
    13. krish recipes

      April 20, 2016 at 5:46 pm

      I love egg plants. Surely will give a try of this recipe

      Reply
    14. Alice Langley

      April 20, 2016 at 4:56 pm

      5 stars
      This is hands down my all time favourite dish

      Reply
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