Eggplant Parmesan

Prep Time
15 mins

Cook Time
40 mins

Makes & Serves
6

INGREDIENTS

2 large eggs

1 tablespoon water

1/4 teaspoon each: salt and pepper

1 cup gluten-free breadcrumbs

2 teaspoons Mediterranean Spice Blend (see below)

1 medium eggplant, cut into 8 slices about 1⁄2-inch thick

Olive oil spray

1 cup low-sugar pasta sauce, warmed

2 tablespoons grated

Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

2 large zucchini, spiralized

Fresh basil leaves, for garnish

Mediterranean Spice Blend

2 tablespoons dried oregano

2 tablespoons dried basil

1 tablespoon dried marjoram

1/2 tablespoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

DIRECTIONS

Make an egg wash by whisking together eggs, water, salt, and pepper in a wide bowl. In a separate bowl, toss breadcrumbs with spice blend.

Bread the eggplant slices by dipping in the egg wash and then flipping in the breadcrumbs to coat on both sides.

Preheat air fryer at 400°F for 3 minutes before cooking. Arrange all 8 slices of breaded eggplant in the air fryer with the least amount of overlap.

Cook 12 minutes, flipping and rearranging the pieces halfway through.

Transfer 4 slices of cooked eggplant to a plate and top with a spoonful of pasta sauce, then top the sauce with an equal amount of the Parmesan cheese. Place the other 4 slices of cooked eggplant over the first 4 to create short stacks of 2 (as pictured at right). Top each stack with another spoonful of pasta sauce and an equal amount of mozzarella cheese.

Return the 4 stacks to the air fryer and cook 2 additional minutes to melt the cheese.

Meanwhile, cook the spiralized zucchini by steaming or dropping in boiling water, just until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Drain and place on 2 serving plates. Top the cooked zucchini with remaining pasta sauce and then top that with 2 stacks of the cooked eggplant for each serving. Garnish with fresh basil leaves, if desired.

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Mona’s Tips: Oven preparation: Bake breaded eggplant on a sheet pan in a 400°F oven for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through. Top 4 pieces with a spoon of pasta sauce and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Stack with the other 4 slices, another spoon of pasta sauce, and then mozzarella cheese. Bake an additional 4 minutes before serving over steamed spiralized zucchini.

Ingredient Insider: Leaving the eggplant unpeeled will help the slices retain their shape after cooking and provides more fiber than peeled eggplant.

Calories per serving: 475 ∙ Fat: 17g ∙ Net Carbs: 47g ∙ Fiber: 13.5g ∙ Sugars: 19g ∙ Protein: 26.5g