This Eggplant Parmesan has all the deliciousness of classic eggplant parmesan but it's way lighter and healthier - made with baked (not fried) eggplant, sweet tomato sauce, cheese (you've gotta have cheese!), and a generous topping of spinach. When you're craving comfort food, it's great to have such delicious healthy eggplant parmesan recipe in your repertoire.
If you're thinking this healthy eggplant parmesan might be a compromise on flavor for the sake of nutrition, well you'll just have to try making it so you can see how amazing it is. Light yet comforting, deeply flavorful, loaded with veggies and just enough cheese to make it irresistible.
Healthy Comfort Food
As much as I love traditional eggplant parmesan, when I order it at a restaurant even the most delicious eggplant parmesan is often heavy and greasy, leaving me feeling heavy and greasy. That's because it's made with fried eggplant, and eggplant, when fried, soaks up oil like a sponge.
Still, I was skeptical when I first discovered this "no-fry" eggplant parmesan recipe in The Moosewood Cookbook. I thought the baked eggplant would be dry and that frying the eggplant might be an essential step for making the dish delicious. I was wrong!
The baked eggplant in this dish SO GOOD. Dipped in milk and then lightly coated with seasoned breadcrumbs and baked, the eggplant comes out of the oven unbelievably light and tender inside, with a golden brown crisp coating. Then it's stacked between layers of richly spiced tomato sauce and melted cheese, and topped with chopped spinach and more melted cheese - that's what I call comfort food!
There's nothing heavy or greasy about this dish. It's everything I want my eggplant parmesan to be and more. I can have a huge delicious portion and feel great.
Here's why you will love this eggplant parmesan recipe:
- You don't have to stand over a bubbling pan of hot oil. Baking the eggplant is SO much easier than frying it.
- Though there are several steps to follow, this recipe comes together easily because while the eggplant is baking in the oven, you can do the rest of the prep: defrost the spinach and make the sauce. Then layer everything together and bake it.
- The tomato sauce in this recipe is amazing. When it comes to Italian food, a great tomato sauce makes the dish. This sauce is full of flavor, with three different dried Italian spices, honey, onions and garlic. A whole can of tomato paste is used, which makes this sauce thicker than average and works beautifully to hold everything together deliciously.
How To Make This Healthy Eggplant Parmesan
Start by breading the eggplant and getting it into the oven to bake. While it's in the oven you can get everything else ready.
- Set up a breading station with a bowl of low-fat milk and a bowl of seasoned breadcrumbs. Dip the eggplant slices into the milk and then press them into the breadcrumbs, on both sides, and set them on a baking sheet as you go. Bake them for 25 minutes.
- Make the sauce in pot with a cover: sauté a chopped onion until it's tender and then add all of the other ingredients except the garlic: dried basil, oregano, thyme, salt, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste and honey. Simmer the sauce for 20 minutes, add chopped garlic and simmer 10 minutes more.
- Assemble the Eggplant Parmesan in a casserole pan, layering the sauce with the egg eggplant and cheese, and finishing with a layer of spinach and more cheese.
- Bake the eggplant parmesan for 40 minutes at 375ºF. Let it sit for 10 minutes before slicing. By the way, have you ever wondered why it's good to let a casserole sit for a bit before slicing? It's because when a piping hot casserole first comes out of the oven, sometimes there are bubbling liquids in the pan. If you let the casserole sit, those liquids are reabsorbed.
More Eggplant Recipes To Enjoy
- Grilled Harissa Chicken Rice Bowl with Glazed Eggplant
- Eggplant Parmesan Stacks
- No Noodle Eggplant Lasagna
- Caponata: Sicilian Sweet and Sour Eggplant Relish
- Georgian Lamb Stew: Chanakhi
It is worth noting where this recipe originated. I adapted it from a recipe in the famous vegetarian cookbook: The Moosewood cookbook by Mollie Katzen, that was first published in 1977. The book is an American Classic, listed by the New York Times as one of the top ten best-selling cookbooks of all time. I'm usually so busy exploring new cookbooks that I don't think to revisit the old ones. This one is going back front and center into my kitchen bookcase.
I made very few tweaks to Katzen's recipe. The only major change I made was the addition of spinach.
Here's this delicious Healthy Eggplant Parmesan Recipe. If you cook this, I hope you'll come back to leave a star rating and a comment. I'd love to know what you think!
PrintRecipe
The Best Healthy Eggplant Parmesan Recipe
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 mins
- Yield: 8
Description
Light and delicious healthy eggplant parmesan with baked eggplant, homemade sweet tomato sauce, spinach, and cheese.
Adapted from a recipe in The Moosewood Cookbook
Ingredients
Equipment: 2 rimmed baking sheets, a 9 x 14 x 2 inch casserole
For The Eggplant
- 2 medium eggplants, cut crosswise into ½-inch thick slices
- 2 ½ cups Panko bread crumbs
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¾ cup low-fat milk
- Vegetable oil for lightly coating the baking sheets
For The Tomato Sauce
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- 2 tablespoons dried basil
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes (San Marzano is my favorite brand. see notes)
- 1 6-ounce can tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
Other Ingredients:
- 1 16-ounce package of frozen chopped spinach, thawed and water squeezed out
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 16 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
- 2 ounces grated Parmesan cheese (I recommend Parmigiana Reggiano)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375º F. Lightly oil baking sheets. In a medium sized bowl combine bread crumbs (2½ cups) and spices: basil (1 teaspoon), oregano (½ teaspoon), and thyme (½ teaspoon). Pour milk (¾ cup) into a small bowl. Create an assembly line where you first dip an eggplant slice into the milk, then press it into the crumbs on both sides, then set it on a baking sheet. Repeat with all the eggplant slices. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove and set aside. (keep the oven hot)
- While the eggplant is baking, make the sauce. heat oil (2 tablespoons) in a large cooking pot or dutch oven oven medium heat. Add chopped onion and cook for about 8 minutes until very soft and starting to brown. Stir in dried spices: basil (2 tablespoons), oregano (1 tablespoon), thyme (1 tablespoon), and salt (1 teaspoon). Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste and honey (1 tablespoon). Cook sauce at a simmer, partially covered, for 20 minutes. Add chopped garlic and simmer 10 minutes longer. Remove from heat. The sauce will be thick.
- To assemble the casserole, ladle a thin layer of sauce into the bottom of the casserole. Arrange half the eggplant slices on top. Sprinkle on one third of the shredded mozzarella. Add half of the remaining sauce (because the sauce it thick, you might have to gently spread it with a knife, as if you are frosting a cake, to avoid smearing the cheese and crumbs around). Add the rest of the eggplant, then half of remaining mozzarella cheese, then the rest of the sauce. Place little piles of spinach, evenly spaced, on top. Season with a little salt and pepper. Sprinkle on the rest of the mozzarella and all of the Parmesan cheese. Bake for 40 minutes, uncovered, until the cheese is melted and starting to brown. Slice, serve and enjoy!
- Leftovers keep well, covered and refrigerated, for about 4 days. Reheat in a 350ºF for 30 minutes or so, until heated through.
Notes
Which Canned Tomatoes are Best? San Marzano tomatoes are my favorite. They're grown in a region of southern Italy that has rich volcanic soil and produces, in my opinion, the absolute best tomatoes for sauce. When I can't find them, I use Muir Glenn organic or another brand of organic tomatoes.
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 40 mins
- Category: Casserole
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: Italian
Originally published November 1, 2012. Updated September 17, 2021 with new photos and a new recipe title. The original title was "No-Fry Eggplant Parmigiana." The same delicious recipe!
I saved this original photo for posterity:
Liana
Just made this using Japanese eggplant sliced lengthwise. Also used what I had on hand for cheese, parmigiano and provolone and used fresh baby spinach. AhMazing!!
Marilyn G
When you used the fresh spinach, did you cook it first, or just layer fresh leaves on the casserole?
Lisa Goldfinger
I cooked it first - blanched it in boiling water for 1 minute or so until tender and bright green. Then drain and run under cold water. Then squeeze out the water. thanks for bringing this question to my attention. I'll make a note to update the post with this information added. I hope you enjoy this dish!
Liana
I used Japanese eggplant sliced lengthwise for this recipe and also used fresh baby spinach instead of frozen-chopped. The sauce recipe, alone, is a keeper for all sorts of other casserole-type recipes or simply dumped over pasta!
Missy
This is the BEST eggplant parmigiana recipe I’ve ever made. Took less than an hour to put together. My husband aka “the taste tester” loved it. This will definitely go on my healthy casserole rotation!!!!!!!
Carrie
Can this recipe. be baked, cooled, and then frozen as individual serving sizes? Or is it better to portion in advance and freeze before baking? I would like to make this part of a meal plan for a single friend. Thank you.
Lisa
I prefer to bake it; slice it; and then freeze the individual portions.
Hollis Ramsey
I love fried eggplant, but this sounds like a good alternative. The order of assembly is brilliant, and I really appreciate a thick tomato sauce. Thanks, Lisa!
Deb
This is our go-to eggplant parm recipe - still have the Moosewood Cookbook. Definitely appreciate that the eggplant isn't fried - it always seemed to absorb too much oil that way. We don't use spinach in ours. We frequently use jarred marinara since my own sauce on hand is meat sauce, which doesn't go well with eggplant. Highly recommend Newman's Sockarooni (now seems to be known as Farmers Garden) since it has some flavorful veggies in the sauce. We're making it today with some roasted heirloom and cherry tomatoes that we'll swirl part of in the food processor and use the sauce with the chunks of tomatoes with the eggplant. Yum!
We usually use the method you (and Moosewood) recommend, which is baking the eggplant in one pan and then moving it to another pan for layering and adding the sauce and cheese. However there is a one-pan method at Food Network, the recipe is No-Fry Sheet-Pan Eggplant Parmesan and if you'd like to use fewer pans that comes out really well.
Mary
Big hit with my guests! Definitely a keeper. I served meatballs on the side for carnivores. I love being able to prepare something long my before the guests arrive and bake it during appetizers. My apps were roasted cauliflower with muhammarra. Delish! Thanks, Lisa!
Carol Borchardt
I LOVE eggplant parmesan and have been craving it. I would never have thought to add spinach, but what a great idea! I'm going to try this version very soon!
Lisa
Great Carol! I hope you enjoy!!
Liz
Loved that you included pictures! It made me feel confident that I had it right. Have you ever been to the Moosewood in Ithaca, NY? The Moosewood Collective created that cookbook you mentioned--and they have created others! That place is most delicious!
Thanks for a great recipe--with pics!
Lisa
I've never been to The Moosewood Collective but I would love to go! I may be in that neighborhood soon visiting Ithaca college with my son and I will definitely check it out. Thanks Liz!
phyllis luberg
This eggplant recipe was SO delicious! I love that the eggplant wasn't fried. The photos and the cooking directions were so clear. Thank you Lisa for the obvious effort you put into your blog.
Elana
Sooo yummy! I used basil olive oil to add a little extra flavor and did not have reggiano cheese so I used mozzarella/parm and some sharp cheddar--worked out just as well because of the sharp flavor. This is a fun cooking process, too...worth the time! Helped to have the pictures to follow- thanks for this awesome recipe.
Lisa Goldfinger
Thanks Elana - I'm glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Hill
Another great eggplant dish, and no frying. Perfect.
Chris Crooks
I cannot wait to make this this week. It look so delicious! Thanks Lisa.
Inés
Lisa, I must say I was sure I'd found the most interesting blogs on line.
Yours is fascinating. Love that you care where each recipe originated,
and how recipes change with migration. Love your photographs as well.
Thank you for your labor of love on this blog. It is definitely going into
"My Favorites" as a top cooking blog for me! Will let you know, when I
make this or any recipe from your blog, how it turned out for me!
Lisa Goldfinger
Hi Ines, thanks so much for your nice comments! I hope you enjoy the recipes. Best, Lisa
Brian
This came out great! Delicious and healthy. Thanks for the recipe.
Lisa
I'm so glad you enjoyed the eggplant Brian! Thank you for leaving a comment a 5 start rating - made my day! 🙂
laura
Just made this for 10 people -- doubled the recipe and it worked out perfectly! Thank you!!!!!
Carolyn
This is my new go to eggplant parm recipe. The kids loved it and I loved that it is baked not fried. Super flavor. Thanks Lisa!!