Updated: 8/18/2020
So you picked up eggplant at the farmer’s market….this weird… dark purple vegetable. But what can you make with it? Eggplant parmesan of course! Need to make it low carb? No problem! Replace the pasta with zucchini noodles (aka zoodles). Read on after the recipe for more information on how to cook and prepare your zucchini noodles.
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What make eggplant so amazing? Eggplant is a great source of dietary fiber, folate, minerals such as potassium, magnesium, and phosphorus, and antioxidants from their purple skin.
Cooked eggplant can be a weird texture if you are not used to it, but by lightly breading it and smothering it in a delicious homemade tomato sauce, this recipe will make for a good first impression.
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Table of Contents
Eggplant Parmesan
Equipment
- Spiralizer (if making zucchini noodles)
Ingredients
- 1 Medium Eggplant
- 1 Egg
- 1 Tbsp Water
- 1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 1/8 cup Shredded or grated parmesan + extra for topping
- 1 1/2 Tbsp Olive Oil
- Homemade Tomato Sauce
- Pasta or zucchini noodles
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Line a baking pan with foil or a silicone mat and set aside.
- Slice the eggplant into discs (about 1/4 inch thick).
- In a small bowl, beat egg and water together and set aside.
- In a separate small bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, salt, and parmesan.
- Dip each eggplant disc into the egg mixture and then into breadcrumbs coating both sides thoroughly. You may need to pat the breadcrumbs onto the eggplant to make sure it sticks well.
- Place the breaded eggplant onto the prepared baking sheet. Be sure to not overlap the eggplant.
- Drizzle a small amount of olive oil on top of each disc.
- Bake eggplant for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.
- Serve 3 slices of eggplant with pasta or zucchini noodles and ladle homemade tomato sauce on top.
Want to replace the pasta with zucchini noodles? Zucchini has been a popular replacement for pasta in the last few years, and for a good reason! Zucchini is also good source of potassium. In fact one cup of chopped zucchini has 324 mg which is just slightly under the amount in a small banana (about 6″ in length).
While the eggplant bakes, prepare the zucchini noodles. You will need a spiralizer kitchen gadget to make the thin, spaghetti-like noodles. I like to use this hand-held spiralizer by OXO. Although it does require more work with the hands and wrists, it is also cheaper and easy to store. If you have arthritis or have limited use of your hands, a crank-based spiralizer might be a better fit for you. If you want to learn more about other kitchen gadgets to use to create your zoodles, check out this article by Downshiftology.
Cut the ends off your zucchini. Use the spiralizer of your choices to create the thin noodles. In a microwave safe bowl, heat the noodles in 30 second increments until desired consistency (I did about 2-3 minutes total). Carefully pat the extra moisture off with a paper towel (this will be very hot so use caution!). You can also boil the noodles in water on the stovetop until desired consistency (about 5 minutes if you still want a tiny bit of crunch). Be sure to add the noodles when the water is boiling. Lightly pat them dry with a towel after they have been drained. The article mentioned above by Downshiftology also provides other ways of cooking zoodles, if the microwave and stovetop aren’t your jam.
Enjoy!