Roasted Eggplant Parmesan

So it was Friday and we needed a meat free meal, and let me tell you, I was getting sick of Talapia... Its a great fish but gets boring after a while. While grocery shopping this week I picked up an eggplant (you want it to be firm with even coloring and as heavy as possible) not sure of when I was going to use it but sure that I wanted to at some point. When Friday came along and Nick reminded me that we needed to eat meat free at first I was super bummed, but then I remembered the eggplant. I was going to make a more classic eggplant parm where you bread the eggplant and pan fry it and then add the sauce and the cheese but decided I could make it healthier and full of flavor, so here is what I came up with. (if you double this you can just use 1 large can of tomatoes, or if you want left over sauce for tomorrow you can use 1 large can and double the amounts for everything else =])

Roasted Eggplant Parmesan
serves 2; 45 mins

1 Eggplant
1 small can stewed tomatoes
1/4 cup onion – diced
2 cloves garlic
1/2 T sugar
4 slices mozzarella or 1 cup shredded
1/4 cup graded or shredded Parmesan cheese
garlic powder
Italian seasoning
olive oil or olive oil spray
salt and pepper

Instructions:

cut eggplant into 4 thick slices
(optional let them weep – sprinkle each side with salt and let sit for 15-20 mins, this pulls some of the bitterness out of the eggplant, however nowadays its not really necessary unless you're using organic or home grown eggplant, after 20 mins dry with paper towel and continue with recipe)

drizzle each side with olive oil then sprinkle with
salt and pepper
garlic powder
italian seasoning
roast in a 350 degree oven for 15 mins on a broiler pan or slotted pan
flip and repeat seasoning on other side for another 20 mins

while eggplant is roasting

Heat about a tablespoon of oil in a pot
saute onion until slightly softened
add garlic, saute for few minutes
add entire can of tomatoes with juice
add 2 Tbsp Italian seasoning and the sugar
let come to a bubble
take potato masher and mash up tomatoes
let cook down a little until slightly thickened.

Once eggplant is roasted move to a casserole dish
top with tomato sauce
sprinkle a little Parmesan over entire casserole
top with mozzarella cheese and sprinkle with more Parmesan

bake in 425 degree oven until golden brown and bubbly.

Serve over pasta and with garlic bread