Cheesy Baked Eggplant

Submitted by ladywisconsin

"Don't feel like cooking another pasta dish? Try this eggplant alternative. Delicious and cheesy!"

 

• Ready In: 1hr
• Ingredients: 13
• Serves: 6

ingredients

• 1 eggplant, sliced into 1/2 inch rounds
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 small tomatoes, chopped
• 1 (10 ounce) package fresh spinach leaves
• 1⁄2 cup ricotta cheese
• 3⁄4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
• 3⁄4 cup grated parmesan cheese, divided
• 3⁄4 cup pasta sauce
• 2 teaspoons italian seasoning

directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Brush eggplant slices with olive oil on both sides, and place them on a baking sheet. Sprinkle garlic powder over the top. Bake for 10 minutes.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, tomatoes and spinach. Cook and stir for a few minutes until fragrant, and the tomatoes have released their juices. In a medium bowl, mix together 1/2 cup of ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese, and 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese. Set aside.
3. Place the eggplant slices in a greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Top with the spinach mixture. Spoon the cheese mixture over the spinach, and spread into a thin layer. Pour the spaghetti sauce over the cheese layer. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese over the top. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning.
4. Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until heated through and the eggplant is easily pierced with a fork.

Reviews

[ColoradoCooking]

This rocks! I add some crushed red pepper, up the garlic, also cut back on the cheese. I pre-make it and cover it with foil (fridge) until bake time. I bake longer, until the cheese browned up.

 

[Fiona L.]

Oh wow I think this was probably the best thing I've ever eaten. I'm on keto so this was perfect. Made my own pasta sauce by boiling down a can of tomatoes and added a little ground almond meal and parmesan for a nice crunch on the top. This will be a household staple from here on in!

 

[knitaholic]

Made this for a dinner party - I could have easily eaten the entire pan myself. DH was amazed that I was willing to try an unknown recipe, and was looking at me in amazement while I was wilting the spinach, totally unsure that it would cook down. I liked the fact that there was no breading or frying of the eggplant. The little leftovers we had reheated fairly nicely as well. Thanks for posting !

 

[loof751]

I really loved this dish! Kind of like an eggplant parmesan but with no frying or breading, and the addition of the spinach is just terrific. I enjoyed this as a meal, served with a salad - thanks for sharing your recipe! Made for Fall PAC 2008