One of my husband’s favorite summer dishes is eggplant Parmesan. Over the years we tweaked the recipe in different ways, searching for a happy medium between the version I grew up with, the one he grew up with and the ultimate that we both enjoyed.

Traditionally, in our families, eggplant was sliced, battered or breaded, and fried. Then the slices were layered with marinara sauce and cheese. My mother-in-law layered the battered and fried slices with mozzarella, and my mom breaded the eggplant and sprinkled each layer with grated pecorino Romano cheese.

But after Dan’s heart attack we had a new challenge — how to make this summer favorite healthier.

Reduce Fat and Sodium, Preserve Flavor

Here are a few tips to lighten this dish without sacrificing flavor:

• Skip presalting. Although many people sprinkle the cut eggplant with salt and let it stand, which removes excess moisture and bitterness, I have never done this. We don’t need the extra sodium, and if you buy the round eggplant in season, it’s not bitter.
• Ditch the yolks. Instead of using whole eggs, opt for beaten egg whites.
• Bake — not fry.  After coating the eggplant slices with seasoned breadcrumbs, arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet sprayed with nonstick spray. As an added bonus, it cuts time.
• Save the mozzarella. We taste with our eyes as well as our tongues. Place the mozzarella on the top, where you will see it when you eat the eggplant, and sprinkle grated pecorino on the other layers.

Recipe

Ingredients:

• Two large round eggplants, peeled (if preferred) and sliced into 1/4-inch-thick slices
• 2 c. seasoned dry bread crumbs (to avoid excess sodium, add garlic powder, grated pecorino, rosemary and minced parsley to dried bread crumbs, rather than purchasing preseasoned crumbs)
• 28 oz. marinara sauce. Stir in 1/3 c. shredded fresh basil. (To reduce sodium, I make my own sauce.)
• 8 egg whites, beaten  (or 2 eggs and 4 egg whites)
• 1/4 c. grated pecorino Romano cheese
• 1/2 c. shredded 2% mozzarella

Steps:

1. Dip each eggplant slice into a shallow bowl of beaten egg whites, allowing excess to drip back into the bowl.
2. Dredge both sides of each slice in seasoned breadcrumbs. Arrange in a single layer and bake approximately 20 minutes at 350º F on baking sheets coated with nonstick spray. Turn once, baking until lightly brown and tender when pierced with a fork.
3. Spray a 13 x 9” pan with nonstick spray and coat the bottom of the pan with marinara sauce. Layer with baked eggplant slices, cutting in half if necessary to cover the pan.
4. Coat eggplant with sauce and sprinkle evenly with 1 T. pecorino.
5. Continue to layer sauce, eggplant and pecorino until the baking dish is full.
6. Coat the top layer with sauce and a sprinkling of shredded 2% mozzarella cheese.
7. Bake uncovered in a preheated 350ºF oven for approximately 45 minutes. If it starts to brown too much, cover with foil.

Strategies for Success

Cheese is high in saturated fat, so use it sparingly. Pecorino is more flavorful than mozzarella and you can use less of it.

To help prevent mushiness, avoid adding too much sauce between the layers. The eggplant shouldn’t be flooded.

Relax and enjoy the process! There’s no way to make eggplant parmesan incorrectly. Adjust to your tastes and preferences.

Buon appetito!