This Lighter Eggplant Parmesan Recipe is one of my favorite ways to eat eggplant. No breading, no frying, just eggplant, cheese and marinara.
Baked Eggplant Parmesan
What is eggplant parmesan? Traditionally eggplant parmesan is breaded eggplant that is fried them topped with sauce and cheese before baking. I made this lighter low-carb version by roasting the eggplant in the oven instead and skipping the breadcrumbs altogether. It’s delicious and perfect to make ahead and freeze or send to a friend in need!
This is the way my Mom always made Eggplant Parmesan, and I always preferred it this way over the deep fried breaded version. It does take some time to make, but it’s so worth it! The eggplant is layered with sauce and cheese, and almost becomes like a noodle-less eggplant lasagna, it’s so good! It melts right in your mouth with each bite. For best flavor, I always use a good Parmesan cheese or Romano cheese like Locatelli or Reggiano cheese.
Do you take skin off eggplant?
I get asked this question a lot. The skin of the eggplant is actually completely edible and also the most nutritious! The skin is jam packed with antioxidants while the meat of the eggplant is full of fiber and low calorie.
Can you reheat cooked eggplant?
Yes, you can pop leftovers into the microwave in a microwave-safe dish or set the oven to 350F, cover the dish with foil and pop them in until hot and ready.
To Make Ahead and Refrigerate
You can prep Eggplant Parmesan 24 hours in advance before baking. Prepare and refrigerate, tightly wrapping with foil. To bake, cover with foil and bake 400F in the center rack 40 minutes. Uncover and bake 10 minutes longer to help thicken the sauce. Remove from oven and let it rest 10 minutes before serving.
To Freeze and Serve
Prepare unbaked Eggplant Parmesan in a freezer to oven safe baking dish or foil dish, cover tightly and freeze for up to 3 months. There is no need to thaw, bake from frozen in a preheated oven 350F about 1 hour 15 minutes, until heated through. Uncover and bake 10 minutes longer. Remove from oven and let it rest 15 minutes before serving.
How To Make Eggplant Parmesan
More Eggplant Recipes:
Lighter Eggplant Parmesan
Ingredients
- 2 pounds eggplant, 1 large or 2 medium
- olive oil spray
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 12 ounces part-skim ricotta, Polly-o is the only brand I use
- 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp Pecorino Romano
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 large egg
- 2-1/2 cups part-skim mozzarella, I used Sargento
- 4 cups homemade tomato sauce or jarred marinara
Instructions
- Start by making the sauce if you don't have any already made.
- Preheat oven to 450°F. Spray 2 sheet pans with oil.
- While the sauce simmers, slice the eggplant into 1/4 inch thick slices. Transfer to the prepared pans, it's ok if they overlap slightly. Season with salt. Bake for 20 minutes, turning halfway through until eggplant is golden.
- Meanwhile, in a medium bowl combine ricotta, egg, parsley and 1/4 cup of grated cheese.
- Put 1/2 cup sauce on the bottom of a 9x12 baking dish, add 1/3 of eggplant to cover the bottom of the dish. Top with 1/3 of the ricotta cheese mixture, 3/4 cup of the mozzarella cheese and 3/4 cup of the sauce. Add another layer of eggplant and repeat the ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese and sauce two more times, reserving the third layer of mozzarella for topping. Finish with 1 1/2 cups of sauce, remaining mozzarella, and the remaining 2 tablespoons of grated cheese.
- Heat the oven to 400F.
- Cover with foil and bake until cheese is melted and everything is bubbling, about 40 minutes.
- Remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes.
- Take it out of the oven and let it sit about 10 minutes before cutting.
Last Step:
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Photo Credit: Jess Larson
Planning to make this and will add some hi protein tofu to the mix to add protein and it should soak up all the flavors. 😍
Excellent taste and texture. My spouse orders higher fat meals, so I didn’t mention that this recipe is on the healthy side. He loved it, as did I.
Fantastic. Best eggplant parm recipe I’ve ever made. Will definently need to keep this in dinner rotation!
Made it and it is terrific. I had been searching for a recipe that mimics my favorite eggplant parm dish I’ve ordered at a local restaurant for years. This is the best yet!
My new go to recipe for eggplant parm. Had been baking eggplant instead of frying for other recipes so I was familiar with it. Used lactose free ricotta and my homemade marinara and it was delicious.
Tasted Great my family loved it . I was looking for a receipe that was lighter than traditional eggplant parm. And I found it. Will be making again.
I made this and I juts loath when a recipe does me wrong! I used 2 medium eggplants and scarcely had enough for one layer let alone three! Next time I would double up on the eggplants.
So good. We divided this into two smaller freezer meals (one for us, one for a friend in need) and received rave reviews from both households, following the heating from frozen instructions. We served ours with spaghetti squash and loved every bite!
Very tasty. I used Trader Joe’s marinara sauce. I think I will make again but slice my eggplant a little thicker.
This was delicious!!! I haven’t really felt satisfied since I began my diet so I was so glad to be able to eat something more hearty. This hit the spot without hurting my progress!
You are right, you don’t miss the frying or the breading. I am so glad you make it with ricotta, that is how we always made it. This hit the spot, thank you!
Gave this recipe only 3 stars because mine turned out so watery. I would definitely roast the eggplant longer than 20 minutes next time. Great flavours, but sloppy to eat because of the water content.
Very tasty, used Delallo jarred marinara and subbed cottage cheese as that’s what I had in the fridge. Ended up using a 9×9 and it was the perfect amount for a deeper dish! The only thing I don’t like is the sodium content, however I will try subbing a lower sodium sauce and trying sodium-free cottage cheese next time 🙂
Can you add chicken to this? If you did, would you remove any ingredient?
How many people is this supposed to feed? Love the recipe!
8 servings
Best low fat recipe I’ve ever made! No frying is a plus. This is the second time I’ve made it and it always gets rave reviews. Shared it a number of friends. Love this recipe.
Thanks Josette!
confused ,,, what’s the egg for?
The egg is so it doesn’t get too thick.
So easy to make! This is basically Eggplant Lasagne! So delicious. There are 4 of us in this house. Everyone ate as they came home. When I went to have some for lunch the next day, there was literally a 2”x2” square left in the pan! I used crushed tomatoes and fresh basil as my sauce. Everyone said it was the best Eggplant Parm ever! (Which called for no Parmesan by the way!). Who needs the breadcrumbs? Vegetarian and gluten-free – a bonus! Will definitely be making this often!
I really wanted to love this recipe as I love eggplant. And I have made several recipes from this site and loved them. But this one didn’t work for me and my family. I followed the recipe exactly and it was overwhelming watery. We still tried to eat it but felt it lacked flavor.
Hi there, I’m planning to make this for dinner tonight because it looks so yummy but I am trying to restrict my salt at least a little bit. Do you have to salt the eggplant slices before you bake them?
The salt helps remove the bitterness and excess water. Perhaps if you use low sodium sauce?
I made this for dinner, it came out exceptionally well! I didn’t have any ricotta on hand so I used cottage cheese, you couldn’t tell the difference. I also threw in a little fresh basil.
Highly recommend this!
I made this exactly as written, it was delicious! I had just purchased 2 large eggplant at the public market for $1. My husband commented that it was the best vegetarian dish he had ever eaten. Leftovers for another day! Give it a try, you won’t be disappointed!
Awesome!
Het lukt niet om de WW punten te koppelen of te delen in de WW App? Hoe doe ik dit?
Should I let eggplant slices sweat for a while before putting them in oven for 20 minutes?
I need to know this too
No! The oven Removes the water content
Loved this smooth and gooey delicious easy eggplant Parmesan. Excellent the first day, fabulous for leftovers. thank God for Gina!!
This is one of my go to healthy meals. Even my picky SO, who admits to having the pallet of an 8 year old, enjoys it and will eat leftovers (which he NEVER does).
This was fantastic!!! I only was able to do 2 layers as my eggplants were smaller and I under-estimated how many I needed. I split it up into 6 meals and plan on freezing. Simply Excellent
I included a layer of mushrooms/ricotta and a layer of spinach/ricotta. The results was a very watering dish. I also used skim ricotta. I don’t want to give up on this dish. Where did I go wrong.
Mushrooms and spinach are packed with water! Try cooking and draining both before mixing them into the ricotta and baking. Happy bites!
This was delicious! I ended up using a tomato basil sauce and only used 2 cups instead of 4, and it wasn’t soupy. I also sprinkled some salt on the egg plant and covered with paper towel for about 30 minutes before baking as instructed. Will be making again!
Fantastic, light dish! Totally prefer it without the breading!
Excellent! I will definitely be making making eggplant Parmesan this way from now on. This was just perfect!
I made this last night. I salted & seated the eggplant, and also roasted in the oven as instructed with the recipe. It still came out delicious but very soupy! Next time I would make the eggplant slices a little thicker and use less sauce.
I ended up modifying this a bunch to accommodate what I had. It was great!
Wonderful recipe as is, or a good starter recipe to make your own additions. I don’t usually review recipes that I make my own additions to, but this recipe is so easy to get more veggies added into without losing the spirit of the original. I had a lot of veggies that needed used, so I added yellow and zucchini squash to the eggplant before baking. I salted and sweated all. To the marinara sauce (Rao’s!), I added mushrooms garlic and onions that had been slowly sauteed in olive oil until dry before adding. Then I assembled the components as per recipe.
I think the most important step in this recipe is to get the veggies as dried out as possible so you don’t end up with soup instead of a casserole. It turned out delicious, and I froze half for later.
We both were so pleased with how delicious this dish is without feeling heavy afterward. Rich but not heavy.
How many ounces is 2.5 cups of cheese? The internet seems to be undecided….
If one cup is 8 oz. then 2 cups is 16 oz. the half cup is 4 oz.
Total is 20 oz.
I have to disagree 1 cup of mozzarella cheese or most any cheese is 4 oz 113.4 grams. A half cup would be 56.7 grams or 2 oz. 2 cups would be 8 oz. So 2.5 cups would be 263.5 grams or 10 oz. Not all cups equal 8 oz when it comes to the weights of different foods.
We tried this last night with fresh garden grown eggplant with just a little chopped pancetta added and it was delicious. Not breading and frying the eggplant is genius – it just gets soggy in an eggplant parm anyway. That also saves time and helps keeps the carbs down. After letting it cool for 10 minutes it set up nice for serving. I did salt the eggplant first and let it sit out at room temperature for 30-45 minutes so that could have helped keep it from being too watery.
Really delicious, but a bit soupy, I will cut the sauce down in the future
This was amazing with the fresh eggplant from my garden! I substituted the regular marinara for arrabbiata sauce and it was delicious!
I like the taste of eggplant, but it always cooks up mushy and the texture is not appreciated by anyone in the family. Am I doing something wrong, or is that just the way eggplant is and we need to learn to love it or leave it?
Yes that is the way it is, also what I love about it.
Easy, delicious, and filling! Will make again. The only thing I did differently was salt the eggplant and let it stand for 30 minutes before baking to release some of the water.
My daughter gave me recipe. Really liked it. Made it again tonight. Still good. My only complaint is that the dish gets very liquidity. Is it from eggplant, cheese or sauce. Any help in what I need to do to reduce this outcome. Thanks, Susan
After you slice the eggplant sprinkle it with salt on both sides and let it drain in a colander for about 30 minutes prior to baking. This will release the liquid from the eggplant and there will be less liquid when combined with the cheeses and sauce.
Mine turned out that way the very first time I made this when I used plain jarred marinara sauce. Last night, I finely diced a quarter onion and a bell pepper I had in my fridge, sautéed it until soft, added ground turkey, cooking it through, and then added in a jar of marinara sauce until everything was heated through. My sauce was obviously less liquidy, but this ended up being the perfect consistency for the eggplant Parmesan and fixed the extra liquid problem in the end.
Fantastic recipe. My family loved it.
This recipe was delicious, reminding me enough of classic eggplant parmesan to make it worth my while. I substituted parmesan reggiano for pecorino romano and used the easy and quick homemade tomato sauce recipe you provided. I have a sensitivity to egglplant which irritates my mouth if I do not salt and let it sit so salt it I did, but I realize now that I didn’t have to salt the eggplant per the recipe if I have already salted and rinsed the eggplant as a separate step. Despite rinsing, plenty of salt is retained! I can confirm that a lot of moisture is extracted by salting the eggplant first so the final product was not watery at all. Again, it was yummy. Thanks!
i have made this many times using cottage cheese works out beautifully. I also add red chili flakes to spice it up a bit. I made a mistake and over cooked some of the eggplant slices and they made delicious salty chips. I will try a new recipe doing exactly that. eggplant potato chip snacks!!!!
For healthy eggplant Parm, I roasted the eggplant in the oven (no bread crumbs) then used 1% no salt cottage cheese instead of Ricotta which has 1/2 the calories of ricotta, mixed it with red sauce and used a hand mixer to get rid of the curds, then built the dish. Baked at 350 for 25 minutes. It came out amazing and 1/2 the calories.
Caroline, I’m very interested in your method. Did you literally mix the cottage cheese with the tomato sauce or layer the two separately as in the original recipe?
Thanks!
Geni
I also use cottage cheese in place of the ricotta cheese. Have been doing that for 50+ years in my lasagna. I just stir it into the egg, parsley, cheese mixture—don’t worry about breaking down the curd, it just softens out in the cooking.
Hi, can I make this on Christmas Eve and heated up Christmas Day? Thank you
Cottage cheese does have fewer calories than ricotta, but ricotta has less sodium, less sugar, and more minerals. Which just means that which one is better for someone on a diet depends on what type of diet they are on.
This is my first time cooking eggplant – Delicious!!! I wasn’t sure that I would like it so I decided to make your air fryer chicken tenders on the side. But we loved this recipe!! I halved the recipe (from 8 servings to 4) so that we will have another meal this week. Thanks Gina!!
This is the only way my eggplant fearing husband will eat. I make it dairy free by using vegan cheeses. So good!
I, too, was skeptical about no breading but this recipe is outstanding and delicious. I would probably do two large eggplants next time, 2 medium didn’t seem like quite enough.
Made this last night as I didn’t realize I had run out of panko crumbs and was in a crunch to fastly find a new recipe. I had let the eggplant sweat out- about 40 minutes. Dish was delicious. Was a bit watery on the bottom but that didn’t ruin the flavor. For leftovers I might put a small bed of macaroni pasta on the bottom and since there is a lot of sauce leftover. Delicious recipe. I was sure to slice eggplant very thin. For a little extra kick I sprinkled red pepper flakes on the top ( just a little) and truffle salt.
Best Eggplant Parmesan ever! I salted the eggplant slices, placed them in a colander, put a double layer of paper towels and a heavy plate on the whole thing. Put the colander on top of another plate and waited 30 minutes for the eggplant to “sweat”. Patted the slices dry and proceeded with the recipe!
Out of this world – added a pkg. of hot Italian sausage – cooked with the sauce and cut in slices. Terrific!
This was delicious!! I took a shortcut and used frozen eggplant slices from Green Giant, roasted them in the oven, then used them in the lasagna, and it turned out great! I’m making it for the 2nd time for tonight’s dinner. It will definitely be in the regular rotation!
I think this recipe might work out nicely. I’ll give it a try. As a full blooded Italian (FBI), I have to make one suggestion. The anglicization of the authentic name of this dish detracts from its heritage, and the melodic beauty of the Italian language. Please consider referring to the dish as “parmigiana di melanzane” or “melanzane alla parmigiana”, if not in the title (please), then at least in the description. It sounds so much more romantic.
Are you kidding???? How snooty! EGGPLANT PARMESAN IS EGGPLANT PARMESAN! Boy,…. People are writing reviews of a great recipe,not how the name is presented…..
Help! I forgot to cook the eggplant beforehand, it will just be more watery, correct?
I followed the instructions carefully but the dish was still very watery.
Made this tonight using Rao’s marinara for a shortcut. Man, it was so good!! Paired it with homemade breaded chicken strips. My husband gave rave reviews.
Every time I made it it’s been very watery what have I done wrong
If you salt the eggplant after it’s cut, let it sit for awhile (30 minutes, it’s ok if it browns) it will release much of the water that the eggplant holds. In doing so, it also releases the bitterness and makes for a sweeter eggplant. Pat the water beads down with paper towels and then move on to the layering.
This was SO good!! I’m trying to eat more healthy foods and I had never eaten eggplant before. I picked one up at the grocery, did a search for recipes, and found yours. I loved it! It’s easy to make and delicious!
Omg do not hesitate and make this right away! You do not miss the oil or the breading AT ALL. Absolutely delicious and just as good leftover. I recommend using your own sauce as Gina suggests. I made w jarred sauce and it wasn’t as good. I made a quick homemade sauce tonight and the extra effort was worth it. Served with some butternut squash noodles on the side. Hi
Thumbs up on this one. I can’t wait to have the leftovers since I am full . So satisfying for a ww recipe. Will be making again!!!
I expected this to be good based on the reviews, but this is so far beyond anything I could’ve imagined. I will make this again, and again, and again. Thank you for this delicious lightened-up version of one of my favorite dishes. 🥰
Being of Italian descent and having had eggplant Parm made by my grandmother, mother and aunts… I had a hard time enjoying this… it is fine but just not eggplant parmigiana….. I cooked it as per instructions and it was really very nice… I would make it again as it is low cal…
Made the eggplant. I added 1 pound lean ground beef. It came out pretty good my husband loved it.
This recipe is very easy. I used cottage cheese instead of ricotta it was delicious. I love the no frying no bread crumbs and it was a big hit with everybody. I only did two layers because that’s all the eggplant I have and so cooked it for 30 minutes +10 instead of 40
Excellent recipe! I would double the eggplant though next time. Not enough eggplant for me. Also I used almost double the sauce. Came out great, just more eggplant next time. I did serve with Penne pasta and it was delicious mixing it together.
I made skinny eggplant recipe last night it came out soggy and salty I followed the recipe to as directed maybe if fried the eggplant it wouldn’t have been so soggy I will give three out of ten.
Terrific eggplant Parmesan recipe. I’ve made it twice to rave reviews. It’s easy to make too.
So good! Full of flavor and filling. We didn’t miss the breading at all. I served ours with a side salad. Thanks again Gina for another winner!
What do you recommending serving with this?
What do you recommend serving with this?
Salad
I made this last night with a few modifications. It was truly outstanding and I will be making this regularly! Yum! I used a 23.5 Oz jar of marinara, only had 26 Oz (by weight) of eggplant, rather than the 2 pounds. Used 2 cups of full fat mozzarella, added about 2 ounces of thawed frozen spinach, (squeezed dry), 1/4 c chopped fresh basil as well as the parsley. Used a full 16 Oz container of 2 percent cottage cheese instead of ricotta because it was only $1.49! Oh and added my minced sautéed shallot that I forgotten to add to my ST breakfast casserole last Sunday! Otherwise, as recipe stated…
I know a lot of people criticize because they say you’re not following the recipe, but hey the recipe is the guide and for that, Gina, I am so grateful!
Also, I used the recipe builder on the My Fitness App and it is so easy to use. I got 324 calories for 1/6 recipe. I used a 10 by 10 casserole dish.
Wow, just wow! Thank you, Gina for your work. I love all your recipes. My husband is a huge fan.
Do yourself a favor and try this recipe and don’t be afraid to alter as is necessary during this crazy time! It is wonderful!
Made this tonight exactly as directed. Perfectly delicious. I’ve always made the cooking light version which has breading so I was somewhat hesitant but it was beautiful. Did not miss the breading at all. Will definitely use as my go to recipe from now on.
This was amazing, I was skeptical about not breading the eggplant, but didn’t even miss it. I would make sure to slice it thin enough, otherwise it wont cook as fast in the roasting part. I also peeled it as I dont like the skin of the eggplant. My husband, who doesn’t think its a meal if there is no meat loved it! 5 stars
Where does the recipe save when I hit save?
DOUBLE, or even triple, the eggplant! This is 100% a 5-star recipe with some modifications. I’ve come back to this recipe several times and there is never enough eggplant compared to the sauce!
I used 3 lb 5 oz of eggplant this time, and my layers had lots of gaps between the eggplant. I also suggest cutting them a little thicker (1/2″) and salting them beforehand to remove any bitterness. I found that 1/4″ setting on my mandoline would get too thin and develop a paper-like texture. We also use double cheese and use whole-milk Mozz to get the nice gooeyness when you serve it (adds 100 cal per serving) and just use the entire 16-oz container of ricotta so we don’t waste it.
Ultimately my changes of adding more eggplant and doubling/using the Whole Milk Mozzerella double the caloric intake of what Gina has listed and adds about 6g of extra protein; but we eat this as an entree and it really helps make it a meal that is more satisfying for everyone and works with my 1500 cal/day diet.
Next time, I will likely try somebody’s suggestion of using slices of zucchini as a layer, yum!
Easy to make really delicious
Fabulous! Definitely a keeper recipe and so much easier and healthier than traditional breaded style.
i made this and it was ok, but certainly prefer the breaded and fried one.
should have removed if not all the skin, then partial skin. it had a few bitter tasting pieces
used the MALE eggplants, less seeds and not as bitter. but still got bitterness.
So good! Used Victoria marinara sauce as a cheat, and Parmesan instead of pecorino romano because that’s what we had. Don’t skimp on the sauce – it sounds like too much but it’s not!
Super delicious! I used Rao’s marinara as a time saver. Also roasted some zucchini cut lengthwise same thickness as eggplant and layered it in for some more veggies. Enough for two dinners and lunch leftovers for 2 adults, two small kids.
Hi
I would live to make the eggplant Parmesan. I don’t k ow if I can get pecorino romano cheese. What can I use instead of that cheese.
Thank you
You can use any good quality grated cheese.
Made this tonight for dinner and it was a hit! Was super easy to make, takes a bit of time with the sauce, eggplant roasting, and then baking for 50 minutes but well worth the wait! Excited to eat leftovers =)
I made this tonight. I wish I had taken the skin off the eggplant. Half of my family did not care for it. I think the skin made it taste bitter. I thought it was a fairly easy recipe to put together. Next time, I’d make that change for my family.
How long does this last in the fridge ?
I made this a few years ago and accidentally skipped the step to roast the eggplant first and if I remember correctly, it was still very good. I’m making this tonight and curious if I’m just losing my mind and HAVE to actually roast the eggplant prior to layering everything or if it’s possible to just layer and bake and still come out okay. I remember it being delicious that way but I’ve also had two kids since then so I could be completely wrong.
I think you could still layer and bake but might have extra liquid from the eggplant. Curious to hear how it came out!
When the recipe lists 2 1/2 cups of mozzarella, is that Cheese shredded to fill 2 1/2 cups?
PS I’ve made this a few times and it’s amazing!!!!!… but I always feel like there’s SO much cheese. That’s why I’m asking about correct measurements. Thanks!!
Sooo yummy! I didn’t have ricotta so I used cottage cheese instead, it was amazing! I prepared it a few days ago and cooked it from frozen, it DID take longer than 1 hour 15 min as recommended (the middle was still frozen)! But we microwaved it and put it back in the oven for a little longer, and there were no leftovers 😀 yum!!
This was amazing. I actually grilled my eggplant before I put it together. My husband and I wanted to eat the whole pan. Will absolutely make this again. I used Trader Joe’s marinara. This is a must make !
Fabulous! My husband loves lasagna and now likes this as much I have made it several times – no changes needed.
I tried this for my cookbook club today. We had a good chuckle over the fact that there is no parmesan in the ingredients. I like the recipe a lot. I increased the herbs and added fresh basil. Also added steamed baby kale to the ricotta mixture. I have played with a similar recipe for a while and also like this with some roasted mushrooms and onion added to the ricotta. Easy when you are roasting the eggplant. Try making your own ricotta — its wonderful and easy particularly using goat milk. Change up cheeses for different flavors. I used the Marcella Hazen tomato sauce with reduced butter. Love that you can do elements ahead of time and assemble quickly at the last minute. Keeps, travels, reheats and freezes well. A keeper.
Do i have to use egg in recipe?
Can you prepare it a day ahead and cool it for dinner the following day?
when i used nutritional info to calculate points for WW blue, it came out to 9 SP…
The only accurate way to determine any recipe’s SmartPoints® value is to plug the ingredients into the recipe builder on the Weight Watchers website (Click on “My Foods,” select “Recipe,” and click “Create a recipe.”)
The SmartPoints® calculator isn’t meant for recipes and will often give you the wrong points (usually higher) because it’s counting 0 points foods such as eggs, chicken, fruits and vegetables. So if you see a recipe with a SmartPoints® value that’s different from what the calculator tells you, that is why.
Thank you for posting your comment about the ww points being Bieber. I just built the recipe and with the sauce I used it comes out to 8 points a serving on blue instead of 5. Saved me from eating it multiple times and not counting enough!
Mine is still baking but it looks and smells great!
Love this take on eggplant lasagna. Followed the recipe exactly and wasn’t disappointed at all. To answer some of the reviewer questions, I used the skin-heavy slices (we sliced ours longways rather than into cross sections) and they were great, not tough or bitter at all. We thought it tasted almost exactly like lasagna and didn’t miss the noodles at all!
I just made this. Phenomenal. Don’t miss the breadcrumbs or the frying. Magic does happen as it bakes uncovered and then rests.
I love Eggplant but the red sauces give me heartburn. I’m thinking of substituting pesto sauce. Have you tried that and would it be just as well using the same amount of pesto as marinara ? How about tomatillo sauce, would that work ?
I have read about a couple of solutions for heartburn from red sauce including adding 1-2 whole peeled potatoes because it absorbs the acid. There are also some recipes where you add a teaspoon and a half of baking soda, and some people use carrots or sugar to balance the acidity. I don’t think we are supposed to post outside websites so I am not posting the links but try searching for “red sauce that doesn’t cause heartburn” and you will find many suggestions. Good luck!
When I enter the information into the WW app either in calculator or the recipe builder it showed as 9 points for blue not 5. Am I doing something wrong? BUT 5 points or 9 points this was absolutely FANTASTIC!!!!!!
Made this last night and it was DA BOMB! I LOVE eggplant parm and this didn’t disappoint! I didn’t miss the breading AT ALL! The only modifications I made were to use low fat cottage cheese in place of the ricotta and used a jarred sauce (Gia Russa Marinara – 24oz jar, plus 8oz of a strained tomatoes as that’s what I had). I added some crushed red pepper flakes to the sauce as I like to have a little spiciness. I had enough macros to eat 3 servings. I had to forgo my frozen yogurt bar and do watermelon for dessert instead, but it was worth it to have ALL THAT PARM! I’m having leftovers for lunch today and dinner and will have enough for another serving tomorrow. This recipe will definitely stay in a steady rotation. With my modifications mine came out to: 214 calories/srvg, 9g fat, 18g carb and 17g protein. I can do a double serving w/ a salad for a great meal (which will be lunch today), or a single serving with a protein (which will be dinner tonight). Thank you!
I made this last night for dinner. It was fantastic. Both my husband and myself loved it. I will make again that’s for sure. I do have a question. If I want to freeze it. Do I make and bake the dish before freezing. Or assemble the dish, freeze it and bake it when I take it out? Thanks
I have frozen this and it holds up well. I assemble it, put it in freezer. Defrost and then bake.
I just love this recipe! It is the perfect base that allows for lots of improvisation.
I slice my eggplant into thick rounds and spray directly with olive oil, then season with garlic and onion powder. Roast at 350 for 35 min on parchment. I also add a 16-oz bag of spinach (because that stuff cooks down to practically nothing) and 24 oz of sliced mushrooms, both sauteed in nothing but water. I also added a 16-oz jar of drained roasted red peppers, roughly chopped. Yes, I wanted tons of veggies. And lots of Italian seasoning, oregano, basil, rosemary, and parsley. It was so dense, satisfying, and delicious! And no pasta, breadcrumbs or frying in oil Thank you so much for your recipe–it is a treasure!
Thank you for all of your amazing recipes, Gina! They are so great. I don’t even bother looking elsewhere. I know if it’s a ST recipe it will be amazing. I only cook ST! Thank you, thank you, thank you. I love this recipe, and so many others!
This was fantastic! I hesitated to try a different eggplant parm recipe because I love the one I have….but it’s a lot of work. The promise of something simpler lured me to try it, and it was well worth it! I had one medium size eggplant from our CSA so I used that with about half of the rest of the ingredients in a 9×9 pan. The pan wasn’t full, but that was the right amount for two of us (dinner plus lunch the next day for my husband). The ricotta soaked up the sauce beautifully, and the flavors were fantastic. Don’t skimp on the marina sauce…if you buy it, buy a good one with a lot of flavor. And don’t skip the “resting” step…that’s when the magic happens!
This was really good. I added some chopped spinach to the ricotta as well. Yum!
Too runny. Ate more like a dip.
I am extremely picky and struggle to find healthy recipes to eat. Since finding your website I am confident I can finally do it. Thank you so much! This recipe is so easy and so delicious!!
Can you use the skinned ends of the eggplant for the bottom layer when making this dish??
I love this so much! I do add chopped spinach and sub ricotta for low-fat cottage cheese but all else remains the same. This is a winner!
Yummy
My husband and I made this for dinner and WOW! Thank you for this low touch, low mess recipe
Made this for dinner tonight. The flavor is great! Didn’t miss the breading on the eggplant at all. Thanks for another winner!
This was amazing!!!!
I made the entire thing on the grill to keep my house from getting hot and it was fantastic! First I sliced my eggplant a little thicker, grilled them until softened, put together the sauce and ricotta per instructions and put my metal baking dish back on the grill, covered with foil for 25 minutes. I then took my foil off and cooked an additional 5 minutes. So good!
Wow made these for a second time (this time with an air fryer) and they were amazing! Very good in the oven but even better in the air fryer… used mozzarella cheese for half and blue cheese crumbles on the other half. Both came out very well and were gone in no time! Thanks GINA- these are a perfect for game day apps this fall!
Glad you enjoyed them!
Hi, I want to make 2 batches and freeze one. Should I freeze before baking it (step 7)or should I complete the recipe, let it cool and then freeze?
Nevermind! I see the notes in the details. I cannot wait to try this recipe
Either should work.
Can you slice the eggplant with a spiralizer? Like the butternut squash lasagna, or would that not work with this recipe?
Sure
Absolutely delicious. Subbed cottage cheese for the ricotta and added spinach and fresh basil into the mix. Easy to make and perfect with the tomato sauce from Skinnytaste.
Wow, this turned out fantastic! Both my husband and I really enjoyed it. I did add hot Italian turkey sausage for the hubby however it does NOT need it at all. I also added some red pepper flakes to my sauce for a little heat and caramelized onions.. We can’t wait to have the left overs tomorrow. Thanks for another fantastic meal Gina!
Terrific, some of the best I have made. I used less cheese, and 2% cottage cheese, egg white, and did make Skinny Taste tomato sauce that simmered a long time too–wonderful. We loved it. thank you. It will be my recipe for this from now on.
I love this recipe. I used to make traditional Eggplant Parmesan but this will be my go to from now on. It’s so much easier, healthier and tastier!
Gina, I made this past weekend and it was delicious! However I used closed to 4 cups of mozzarella. Recipe calls for less?
You can use as much as you like!
I’ve been following your blog, as a Weight Watch, for a number of years. I love many of your recipes. The weekly menu helps trigger ideas for my menu.
Now I am diabetic. This recipe translated very well to low carb because no bread crumbs! I used full fat dairy products because they are lower carb.
It was phenomenal! One of your best recipes ever! Thank you to your mom, too!!
Thank you s million times! Judy. 11stars (10 star scale)
Aww thanks Judy!
I would want to make this and freeze in individual portions to reheat for lunch at work. Does this freeze well after baking? Thank you from one Long Islander to another.
Sure!
Can you make this recipe and divide it into two baking dishes since it serves 8 people? If so would the cooking time be the same? I would freeze one of the dishes for another time.
Sure!
I am allergic to Cottage cheese and Ricotta, what can use instead to replace this with please, but I am not allergic to Mozzarella or Parmesan cheese, instead of Marinara sauce Can I use Bolognaise sauce , can i put some spices too and which ones
I’ve got this in the oven as we speak (well, type)! Very excited because I’m a Skinnytaste devotee. Two observations: the ingredients list calls for 2 cups of mozzarella but in the directions it adds up to 3 (I compensated by doing 1/2 cup layers rather than a full cup). Also, I didn’t have quite enough sauce because I used the link to the homemade version and that only makes 3 cups; I didn’t think to check before I went to the store. I’m sure it will still be yummy though. Thanks Gina for so many wonderful recipes!
I didn’t read any comments prior to trying this BUT after making it – do not cut the slices of eggplant too thin. I tried to be fancy and make pretty thin slices. Don’t be like me. I also did do the oil step but think I should have done more.
Hi Gina- this recipe has been a hit in our house this summer with all the farmer’s market eggplant! Do you think this can be frozen?
I took a risk and prepared this dish for a group bbq a hosted. Two of my guests are real Italian and picky when it comes to Italian food.. well this recipe was easy to follow and absolutely delicious! It’s cheesy and light all at the same time. I added garlic to the ricotta cheese mixture and I sliced the eggplant a bit too thin but I’m making this again. Iit feeds at least 10 people if you serve other entrees. Very very good!
My recipe is nearly same except, I put banana peppers on top. And sometime also put a layer with a combo of black & green olives, green pepper, onion, mushrooms and zucchini (all or some) in the middle.