Baked Eggplant Parmesan
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This Baked Eggplant Parmesan is dairy-free and has some sneaky protein in there. Serve with a salad for a low carb dinner or with a bowl of pasta!
This Baked Eggplant Parmesan is lasagna’s low-carb sister. Sliced eggplant is breaded and then baked until crispy. Then it is layered in a casserole dish with marinara, tofu ricotta (hello, sneaky protein), vegan parmesan and fresh basil. The whole thing is baked until hot and bubbly for a tasty vegan Italian dinner. Serve with a salad for a low carb dinner or add some pasta on the side for comfort food to the max.
Step One: Dredge the Eggplant
This recipe does have a few steps and takes a little bit of patience and time. But, I promise you, it is worth it!
The first thing we need to do is salt the eggplant. This will remove any bitter flavor from the eggplant as well as draw out the liquid – this helps keep the eggplant crisp!
Slice the eggplant into 1/4″ round slices – you’re aiming for 27 slices, but it’s ok if you end up with a few extra. Spread them out in an even layer and sprinkle with salt. Allow to sit for 10 minutes. Wipe the salt and excess liquid off.
Next, set up your dredging stations. Seasoned flour, aquafaba (chickpea liquid), and panko/parmesan.
Working a couple slices at a time, dip the eggplant in the flour on both sides, then the aquafaba, then the panko. Place on parchment-lined baking sheets and repeat until all of the slices are coated. Spray with oil and place in the oven for 15 minutes. Flip and cook for another 10-15 minutes, or until crispy.
Step Two: Make the Tofu Ricotta
This Tofu Ricotta has been on my site FOREVER, and it is one I always go back to. It is a great way to sneak in some protein and get that cheesy flavor/texture at the same time.
To make the tofu ricotta add tofu (obvi), garlic, lemon juice, vegan parmesan, olive oil, salt & pepper to a food processor. Blend until smooth, scraping down the sides as you go.
Step Three: Assemble & Bake
Assembly for this casserole is basically just like layering a lasagna!
Add 1/2 cup of marinara to the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish. Top with a layer of eggplant slices, 1/2 cup of marinara, 1/3 of the ricotta (in dollops), 2 tablespoons of shredded parmesan & 1 tablespoon basil. Repeat that layer again.
Top the second layer with 1/2 cup marinara and then the rest of the eggplant, marinara, ricotta and basil. Sprinkle with grated parmesan and place in the oven for 20 minutes – turn the oven to broil for the last couple minutes for a crispy top.
Step Four: Serve
Pull the casserole out of the oven and just bask in the beauty for a second…then dig in.
Spoon a stack of eggplant onto each plate and top with some extra basil & grated parmesan.
You can boil some pasta while the eggplant is baking and serve the eggplant on top of the pasta. Or keep it low carb and just have some salad on the side. No matter how you serve this, it will be tasty!
Tips & Tricks
Try to find 2 eggplants that are long and skinny. You want them to be similar in size so it is easy to make the slices into stacks.
Aquafaba is the canning liquid in a can of chickpeas. Drain the liquid and reserve the chickpeas for another recipe. This will replace the egg dredge that is typically used to bread the eggplant.
If you have more than 27 slices of eggplant, just sneak the extra ones into the 2nd layer.
This is best made and served right away. The eggplant will get soggy if you try to prep this ahead of time or freeze it.
Need more recipe inspo? Check these out:
Baked Eggplant Parmesan
Ingredients
FOR THE EGGPLANT
- 2 medium eggplant see notes
- salt
- 3/4 cup flour
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- aquafaba from 2 cans of chickpeas, see notes
- 1.5 cups panko bread crumbs
- 1/2 cup grated vegan parmesan I used Follow Your Heart
- olive oil spray
FOR THE TOFU RICOTTA
- 1 14-ounce block firm tofu drained & patted dry
- 2 cloves garlic peeled
- 1 tablespoon shredded vegan parmesan I used Trader Joe's
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 lemon juiced
- salt & pepper to taste
FOR THE CASSEROLE
- 1 24-ounce jar marinara sauce
- 3 tablespoons fresh basil chopped
- 4 tablespoons shredded vegan parmesan
- grated vegan parmesan
Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Slice the eggplant into 1/4" round slices – you're aiming for 27 slices, but it's ok if you end up with a few extra. Spread out in an even layer and sprinkle with salt. Allow to sit for 10 minutes. Wipe the salt and excess liquid off.
- In a shallow bowl combine the flour, Italian seasoning, pepper and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Whisk to combine. In another shallow bowl add the aquafaba. In another shallow bowl add the panko & parmesan and whisk to combine.
- Working a couple slices at a time, dip the eggplant in the flour on both sides, then the aquafaba, then the panko. Place on the prepared baking sheets and repeat until all of the slices are coated. Spray with oil and place in the oven for 15 minutes. Flip and cook for another 10-15 minutes, or until crispy – be sure to alternate which rack the baking sheets are on after you flip them. Remove from the oven.
- Meanwhile, combine the tofu ricotta ingredients in a food processor. Blend until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed. Set aside.
- To assemble, add 1/2 cup of marinara to the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish. Top with a layer of eggplant slices, 1/2 cup of marinara, 1/3 of the ricotta (in dollops), 2 tablespoons of shredded parmesan & 1 tablespoon basil. Repeat the layer. Top the second layer with 1/2 cup marinara and then the rest of the eggplant, marinara, ricotta and basil. Sprinkle with grated parmesan and place in the oven for 20 minutes – turn the oven to broil for the last couple minutes for a crispy top.
- Remove from the oven and spoon onto plates.
Video
Notes
- Try to find 2 eggplants that are long and skinny. You want them to be similar in size so it is easy to make the slices into stacks.
- Aquafaba is the canning liquid in a can of chickpeas. Drain the liquid and reserve the chickpeas for another recipe. This will replace the egg dredge that is typically used to bread the eggplant.
- If you have more than 27 slices of eggplant, just sneak the extra ones into the 2nd layer.
- This is best made and served right away. The eggplant will get soggy if you try to prep this ahead of time or freeze it.
