If you have been searching for a diabetic-friendly eggplant dish, look no further! Eggplant Parmigiana is a layered baked dish, with slices of golden-fried eggplant layered with Italian tomato sauce. The addition of parmesan and provolone cheeses guarantee that it is full of flavor and so satisfying!
Eggplant can take extra time to prepare, so it requires some planning ahead. One way to make this dish work for a weeknight dinner is to prep the eggplant the evening before. The eggplant could be sliced, salted and drained, then fried, and refrigerated. The next evening, prepare the quick beef and Italian tomato sauce, layer with the eggplant and cheese, and bake for 30 minutes.
Another way to make it work is to prepare it on the weekend when there is a little more time.The dish makes eight servings, and leftovers are perhaps even more flavorful the second time around!
Preheat oven to 350°F.
sprinkle eggplant with 2 tsp. salt and place in a colandar for 30 minutes.
Heat 2 TBS. oil in a skillet and lightly brown chopped onion. Add garlic and saute 1 minute. Add ground beef and cook until no longer pink. Add remaining salt and pepper to meat as it cooks. Add tomatoes, water, and Italian seasoning; simmer for 10 minutes. Set aside.
Rinse eggplant slices with water and lay slices on paper towels; dry off with more paper towels. Place 2-3 TBS. olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add eggplant slices and cook on both sides until golden brown; cook in 2-3 batches of oil and eggplant, if necessary. (Remove fried slices to a plate until all have been cooked.)
Butter a 13×9″ baking pan. Place half of the cooked eggplant slices in the bottom of the pan. Cover with half of the beef-tomato mixture. Sprinkle with half of the parmesan and place half of the provolone cheese slices on top. Repeat with a second layer.
Bake for 30 minutes until bubbling and the top cheese is a golden brown.
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