Lighter Eggplant Parmesan

I promised on Friday in the Filetto Di Pomodoro post that I would have something for you today!  This sort of goes in line with a previous Eggplant recipe I’ve posted before.  This recipe below is another from the fabulous Gina.    The sous chef and I thought this was a great recipe, and it doesn’t make you feel overwhelmingly full at the end of the meal either.  That’s usually the case with eggplant, and this one is no different.

This is also a fairly sizeable recipe, so I would definitely cut this recipe in two if you are making this for just 2 people.  If you cut this in half, perhaps use a 9x9 pan or something smaller than a 9x13.  I think you’d have enough for leftovers even with 4 people if you made the full version below.

Ingredients
1 large eggplant (2 lbs)
1 tbsp olive oil
12 oz fat free ricotta
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp Pecorino Romano
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 egg
2 cups reduced fat mozzarella
3 cups homemade tomato sauce
salt

Directions
Start by making the sauce if you don't have any already made. While the sauce simmers, slice the eggplant into 1/4 inch thick slices. Lightly salt the slices and put in a colander to release excess moisture for about 1/2 hour. Lay on paper towels to soak up any extra moisture.

Preheat oven to 450°. Brush eggplant lightly with olive oil on both sides and place on cookie sheets. Bake for 20-25 minutes, turning half way through until eggplant is golden brown.
In a medium bowl combine ricotta, egg, parsley and 1/4 cup of grated cheese.

In a 9x12 baking dish, put a little sauce on the bottom of the dish and put a layer of eggplant to cover the bottom of the dish. Top with 1/3 of the ricotta cheese mixture, mozzarella cheese and sauce. Add another layer of eggplant and repeat the ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese and sauce until everything is used up. Top with sauce and the mozzarella cheese and the remaining grated cheese.

Cover with foil and bake until cheese is melted and everything is bubbling, about 30 minutes at 400°. Remove foil and bake an additional 8-10 minutes. Take it out of the oven and let it sit about 10 minutes before cutting. Enjoy!