Baked Eggplant Parmigiana (plant-based, gluten-free)
No one else likes eggplant in my house, so I used to have it only when we went out to a restaurant and I could order a beautiful eggplant dish to tuck myself into.Then I learned how to bake eggplant instead of frying it, and the whole game changed. Now I make this treat for myself whenever I want some real comfort food.All the goodness and love of eggplant parmigiana without the greasy fried feeling, or the heavy dairy cheese, or the wheat. Guilt-free, healthy, and tastes like a dream.I hope you enjoy it too! For today's inspiration, here's one of my favorite quotes on diligence:“Gardens are not made by singing 'Oh, how beautiful!' and sitting in the shade.”― Rudyard KiplingMay we each go out and do something today that lights up another being.
Ingredients
- 1 medium eggplant, thinly sliced
- 1 Tbsp salt
- 1 cup brown rice flour or cornmeal
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 3-4 cups your favorite tomato sauce
- 1 cup cashew mozzarella
- Vegan parmesan to sprinkle on top
Directions
- Rub the salt over the thinly sliced eggplant, gently toss to coat all sides, then let sit in a colander for 1 hour to drain some water out of the eggplant. This will make sure it's not chewy, but nice and soft after it's baked.
- Rinse the salted, drained eggplant in water and pat each slice dry, then dredge it in the brown rice flour or cornmeal so each side is well coated.
- Place the coated eggplant slices on a parchment-lined baking sheet and drizzle the olive oil over top.
- Bake at 425F for 10 minutes on one side, then flip the eggplant slices over and bake for 15 more minutes on the other side. They should be nice and soft with some crispy edges.
- Grease a 8×8" or 9×13" casserole dish with olive oil, then start layering: first tomato sauce, then eggplant, then cashew mozzarella, then more tomato sauce, and so on, until you've run out of eggplant and finish the top with tomato sauce and mozzarella.
- Bake at 350F for 35 minutes, then cut yourself a hearty slice of love.
Notes
Did you make this? Tag @maitricooks on Instagram and leave a rating in the comments below. Lots of love!
Instagram comment from Sara: Comfort food 😋
@Sara: Truth!! 🥰❤️
Facebook comment from Adreina: Greetings Maitri your eggplant dish looks delicious. I can’t wait to try it. Thank you for the inspiration and great recipes.
❤️😊
My favorite comfort food!