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Healthy Eggplant Parmigiana

ByElena Paravantes, MS, RD

Greek eggplant parmigiana

Yes this is also known as eggplant parmigiana or eggplant parmesan, and you would think it is made with parmesan cheese. Well it isn’t. This dish is actually a southern Italian dish that I enjoyed (a lot) while being in Sicily, and it is not from Parma nor is it made traditionally with Parmesan cheese. Most likely the name comes from the word parmiciana which meant in Sicilian dialect a set of strips of wood that form a shutter, the same way the eggplant slices are placed one on top of the other.

Now, when you come across eggplant parmesan in the U.S. and other places, it usually contains tons of cheese, breadcrumbs, flour and eggs and you end up hardly tasting the eggplant. And that is a shame because eggplants are delicious and with so many health benefits. Although there are many variations, the basic form consists of eggplant, tomato sauce, olive oil, cheese and basil and that is what I have used as well.

Greek white eggplant

I followed the basic recipe but made a few tiny changes: I made these in a sort of individual servings rather then layering everything in one big baking dish. The cheese used in this dish is usually caciocavallo or pecorino. Caciocavallo is semi-soft stretchy cheese made in southern Italy. I used kaseri, which is a greek sheep milk semi-soft cheese, but you could also use mozzarella. I also used the white Santorini eggplant which is sweeter and milder compared to the traditional purple eggplant, although I like both just the same. Finally I baked the eggplant slices a bit before assembling rather then frying this time, but you can also lightly saute them, making for a lighter tasting dish.

So try this out. It is a dish full of antioxidants from the eggplant, tomato and olive oil. Just make sure to use cheese lightly.

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Healthy Eggplant Parmigiana

Greek eggplant parmigiana
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Course: Entree
Cuisine: Greek, Mediterranean, Vegetarian
Author: Elena Paravantes, MS, RD
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Ingredients

  • 3-4 wide eggplants about 2 pounds
  • 5 ounces shredded Kaseri Cheese or Caciocavallo or Mozzarella
  • Basil
  • Olive Oil

For the tomato sauce

  • 20 ounces peeled and diced tomatoes
  • 2 medium onions chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • Salt/Pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Cut eggplant slices about 1/2 inch thick. If you are cooking in a baking dish, cutting the eggplant lengthwise may work better, otherwise you can cut horizontally like I have done.
  • Place eggplant slices in a colander, salt and let the eggplant sit for about an hour, this helps remove the bitterness. If you are using the white Santorini, you can skip this step.
  • Preheat oven at 450 degrees Fahrenheit (230 Celsius), if baking eggplant. If you are sautéing eggplant then just preheat oven at 350 Fahrenheit (180 Celsius).
  • Prepare sauce by sautéing onion until translucent in 2 teaspoons olive oil. Add garlic continue sautéing for another minute.
  • Add the tomatoes and simmer for about 15-20 minutes.
  • Now either lightly saute the slices in olive oil placing them on napkins, or bake in preheated oven of 450 degrees Fahrenheit (230 Celsius). To bake, brush a pan with olive oil,  toss the eggplant slices in olive oil and bake for 15-20 minutes.
  • Once your eggplant slices have been sautéed or baked begin assembling. Lower oven temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 Celsius).
  • Brush a pan with olive oil or you can spread tomato sauce, place the eggplant, then tomato sauce, then basil and then cheese, repeat this until you have finished with a layer of cheese. It is kind of like putting together lasagna. I also added a few drops of olive oil between layers.
  • Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes, until eggplant is soft.
  • Serve.
Photos by Elena Paravantes

Elena Paravantes, MS, RDN is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist by the U.S. Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR). She is an expert on the Mediterranean Diet. She has been active as a clinician, consultant, author and lecturer for 20 years, both in the U.S. and Greece. An expert on the Greek Mediterranean Diet, her interviews and articles have been published in many publications including CNN, U.S. News and World Report, Prevention, NPR, and Shape. Elena has collaborated with a number of organizations including Loyola University, Yale University, University of Missouri, Louisiana State University, and the American College of Greece. Elena earned her Bachelor of Science in Human Nutrition and Dietetics and her Bachelor of Liberal Arts and Sciences in Psychology from the University of Illinois at Chicago. She holds has a Master’s Degree of Science in Health Management.

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5 Comments

  1. So delicious! I love it this way because it’s not heavy or greasy. I have your cookbook and am loving so many of the recipes. My husband is Greek and I’m Italian so Mediterranean is what we love! Thank you for all the good nutrition information found in the cookbook.5 stars

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  2. The eggplant I use here are called “Sicilian”, though of course there are many varieties in Sicily. They aren’t all white; they are light violet and cream-coloured. Delicious. I also grill them, brushing on olive oil. It is a pity that the North American version is so heavy (especially the commercial frozen ones that are practically junk food).

    I was always wondering why it is called parmigiana, because it is a most typical southern Italian dish of Magna Grecian origin.

    This reminds me to go to the market (Marché Jean-Talon) today to pick one up while they are still good.

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  3. Love the twist – and wish we had white eggplants here! Deeps and I do this quite often, except we grill the eggplants instead of pre baking- the char gives a nice smokey taste

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