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lasagna

Healthy Authentic Italian Eggplant Parmigiana (super easy!)

September 13, 2021 by katharina.kuehr Kommentar verfassen

The end of summer always is a bit emotional, especially when you realize that you are not in Italy anymore and cannot have pasta & parmigiana with a view of the ocean anymore. Bringing the view home is a bit tricky but what we can do is bringing the food home in order to hold on onto the holidays for as long as possible. 

And trust me, this dish is at least as good as in Italy. Soft eggplant with creamy tomato sauce and lots of goey molten cheese. If there is something like (healthy) comfort heaven – it is this recipe!! Perfect for cozy fall evenings when you just want something to comfort you but also perfect as a side when you have got some friends over for lunch! Plus: you can easily prepare it and then only place it in the oven and voilà!

What is Parmigiana?

Parmigiana (alla melanzane) is a very typical Italian dish that originated in the South of Italy (there are several regions claiming to have invented it). Typically it is made with fried slices of eggplant layered with tomato sauce and cheese and then baked in the oven. In Italy you can find it on most menus as a Primi Piatto (first course) or as a contorno (side dish).

What is special about this dish?

This recipe version of it is an easier and a bit healthier one than the original. The main difference is that we do not deep fry the eggplant before layering but only roast them a little in a pan. This does not only make it healthier (because way less fat is used) but it also makes the preparation of this dish much easier and simpler. 

Is this dish healthy?

It definitely can be said that this is a dish providing many nutrients. Both, the tomato sauce and the eggplant are sources of fibre, vitamins, carbohydrates and minerals. The olive oil accounts for a decent dose of healthy fats. The mozzarella and parmesan provide a healthy dose of protein. This though comes with a dose of saturated fats too – which is not the healthiest – but you know what? A little cheese never hurt nobody! 

look at that crisp ?

Perfect side or comfort food!

As previously mentioned, in Italy you can mostly find this dish as an Appetizer and sometimes as a side. Making this as an appetizer is a great idea because you can prepare and layer everything (except for the final cheese layer) and set it aside. Before your guests are coming, you can just sprinkle the remaining mozzarella and parmesan and bake it. Just make sure not to make too much because it is quite filling. In summer we also love making it as a side dish for pur barbecues because it is a great way to have some veggies and also is it a vegetarian choice for all those who do not want to have any meat. 

Finally, which is our preferred way of having it, you can make it as a main dish. Basically like lasagna, just without pasta sheets and a bit different. Place the skillet on the table and let everyone dig into this goodness. It won’t take long until everything is gone! 

Easy as pie

Making this is super easy. All that needs to be done comes down to very few and easy steps. First you need to slice the eggplant into about 0,5-1cm thick slices before frying them in a little olive oil for 2-3 minutes per side. In the meantime you can already make the tomato sauce for which you just need to sauté some finely chopped onions and garlic in hot oil before adding canned, crushed tomatoes. To make it even easier: use a store bought tomato sauce and skip this step!

The last thing you need to prepare is the cheese: grate the parmesan and roughly chop the mozzarella! That already is it with the preparations and now comes the fun part. Start by adding a layer of eggplant slices into a pan or another oven safe dish. On top goes some tomato sauce, a little mozzarella and a little parmesan. Then repeat it (about 1-2x approximately) until you have used everything up. Now into the oven it goes, for about 25-30 minutes and voilà! 


Anyone who likes eggplants and Italian flavours should try this. Like lasagna, just a little bit healthier and vegetarian. A staple in our house and it is soo good!!
If you try it I would love to know how you like it! 

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Healthy Authentic Italian Eggplant Parmigiana (super easy!)

A classic Italian dish made in a way that is a bit healthier than the regular one – yet, at least as delicious! Easy, healthy and tasty and soso comforting!

Course Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine Italian
Prep Time 20 Minuten
Cook Time 40 Minuten
Resting time 30 Minuten
Total Time 1 Stunde 30 Minuten
Servings 4 servings

What you will need

  • 2 eggplants
  • 500 ml canned tomatoes
  • 1 red onion
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • Italian herbs
  • olive oil
  • 250 g mozzarella cheese
  • 75 g parmesan cheese

How to

  1. Remove the both ends of the eggplant, then slice them into about 0,5-1cm thick slices lengthwise. Place them on a baking tray and sprinkle with salt. Let them sit for about 30 minutes. This will help remove the water from the eggplants. Then take a paper towel, remove the water that has run out and pat them dry.

  2. Preheat the oven to 200°C.

  3. In the meantime peel and finely chop the onion and garlic, either by hand or in a food processor. In a pan heat up some olive oil and fry the onion and garlic in there for about a minute. Add the canned, crushed tomatoes, salt, pepper and Italian herbs and let simmer for about 10 minutes.

  4. While the sauce is simmering the cheese can be prepared. Grate the parmesan cheese and roughly chop the Mozzarella.

  5. Heat up about 2 more tbsp of olive oil in a pan and fry the eggplants for about 2-3 minutes on each side. Take out and set aside.

  6. Take an oven safe dish and place one layer of the fried eggplant at the bottom. Cover with tomato sauce, half of each, the parmesan and the mozzarella cheese on top, then repeat. At the end, it should all be covered with parmesan cheese.

  7. Now, place in the oven for 30-40 minutes until golden brown and crispy on the top.

    Enjoy!

Have fun cooking
Enjoy,
Katie // Une Petite Cuisinière

Kategorie: Cuisine, Diet-Specific, Italian, Lunch/ Dinner, Side, Vegetarian, Vegetarian Stichworte: comfort food, cozy, eggplant, eggßplant recipes, family meals, healthy, italian, lasagna, parmigiana, side dishes, vegetarian, veggie

Super Tasty, Healthy & Messy Vegan Pan Lasagna

Februar 22, 2021 by katharina.kuehr Kommentar verfassen

Soft Pasta sheets in-between creamy, warm tomato sauce, tossed with a vegan, veggies-sneaked, creamy and tangy “bechamel”-style sauce. Topped with some vegan cheese and baked till molten and crispy. Not kidding, this stuff is seriously addicting. And no, you won’t miss the meat – this easier, healthier and messier version of the classic lasagna is a comfort dream. You`ll want to have this for dinner every night!

What’s special about this dish? 

A lot. A whole lot actually. To be honest, we need to say a classic lasagna is pretty much untoppable, but we also need to say that it is not very nutritious, as delicious as it may be. So in this recipe we are making a few (rather a bunch) changes and swaps to make it more nutritious, plant based, easier but also at least as delicious!

For example, instead of the regular béchamel sauce we are using a lighter, veggie packed & vegan version of it, which is ready in a few minutes. Also instead of layering everything neatly, as it is common, we are making a messier version of it. I don’t know what it is but I really feel like messy dishes having this passionate and loving touch to it.

Vegan Bolognese

I am using the one from Pastafani and omg, it is so good. To be honest, I was very sceptical regarding vegan bolognese and thought this could not be good … BUT I was proven wrong. Terribly wrong. To make this clear, it does not taste like bolognese but rather like tomato sauce with Tofu chunks in it. But in a good way. I really love cooking with it, I also have another recipe on the blog with this – the Baked Bolognese Spaghetti Squash – and this recipe is at least as good. It is vegan, organic and delivers suuuuupeer quickly!! You can head to their online shop and check it out – which you really should. PLUS, if you want to same some money you can use UNEPETITE10 for 10% off your order. Really, really worth getting it.

You can use „UNEPETITE10“ to save 10% when getting the best vegan sumo

Otherwise you could also use a homemade vegan bolognese or a lentil Bolognese or just a regular tomato sauce. Or, what would also work great is if you fried some vegan ground meat in some oil for about 4-5 minutes, then add some tomato sauce and use this. A really quick version of a vegan Bolognese.

Is this dish healthy?

Yesso. Contrary to regular lasagna, this one actually is very nutritious. Why? Instead of regular lasagna sheets, we are using whole-grain ones. These contain a bunch of fibre and protein and also some good carbs. Next up we have some tomato sauce or vegan bolognese. Either one has a bunch of vitamins and fibre. Just make sure you check the ingredients when buying the sauce because a lot have a bunch of added sugar.

Then we have the „béchamel“ sauce. This is pretty nutritious. How? So, instead of milk, butter and flour or cream we are using completely different ingredients. We have cauliflower, which has been steamed before, some soaked cashews, plant based milk and nutritional yeast. This way it gets the whole color, the creamy texture, and the cheesy taste and it is really healthy!

How to make this dish?

What you really need to do, is to prepare the béchamel sauce. Which means steaming some cauliflower and blending it with the milk, cashews, nutritional yeast, dijon, salt, garlic and pepper. Next we just have to add everything to a pan. It would be best if you started by adding the tomato sauce to the pan, then adding the lasagna sheets into it. Now we are just adding some dollops of the béchamel sauce. Now, we try to mix it a mix, as good as possible. What’s left to do now is to add some vegan cheese on top and bake it in the oven.

When you take it out, you can either eat it straight from the pan, which I need to say is pretty legit or you divide it onto plates/ bowls. But what you should do, is add some (vegan) pesto, because this really makes everything better. Anyway, it is super tasty, saucy, comforting and healthy!

I hope you’ll like this dish at least as much as we do and that you’ll make it on repeat!! Have a great time cooking & enjoy!

Print

Super Tasty, Healthy & Messy Vegan Stove Lasagna

Healthy, Easy, Delicious. Soft Lasagna sheets inbetween a creamy tomato sauce, rich and veggie-packed "béchamel" sauce and toppped off with some good vegan cheese. Baked in the oven till perfection and served with lots of love. The perfect, healthy comfort food.

Course dinner, lunch, Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Prep Time 15 Minuten
Cook Time 40 Minuten
Total Time 55 Minuten
Servings 2 servings

What you will need

  • 1/2 red onion
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1 tbsp oil
  • 1 jar vegan bolognese * see blog post – paragraph "Vegan Bolognese"
  • 1 can tomatoes
  • 160 g lasagna sheets
  • 100 g vegan cheese

For the béchamel sauce:

  • 1/4 head cauliflower
  • 25 g cashews
  • 4 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 1/2 tsp dijon mustard
  • 50 ml plant based milk (you may need more depending on how big your cauliflower and how strong your blender is)
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder

How to

  1. bring a pot with water to a boil. Add the cauliflower and steam for about 5-7 minutes. You should easily be able to pierce through with a fork. Drain it

  2. In the meantime finel dice the onion and garlic and fry them in the hot oil for about 2 minutes.

  3. Option 1: now add some frozen ground (vegan) "meat" and fry it for 4-5 minutes. Add 1 jar of tomato sauce and 1 can of canned tomatoes. Generously salt and pepper.

    Option 2: just pour in the vegan bolognese and canned tomatoes and generously add salt and pepper.

  4. Add the cauliflower along with all the other ingredients for the béchamel sauce to a blender and blend until having reached a creamy texture. You may need some more plant based milk.

  5. Break apart the lasagna sheets and add them into the tomato sauce so they are equally distruibuted. Add the béchamel sauce, a dollop at a time and the swirl it in. Top with the vegan cheese and bake for 40-45 minutes at 180°C.

  6. Serve with lots of love and enjoy!

Love,
Katie

Kategorie: Cuisine, Diet-Specific, Italian, Lunch/ Dinner, Vegan Stichworte: comfort food, cozy food, family friendly, family meals, gesund, gesund kochen, healthy, healthy comfort food, healthy lasagna, lasagna, Lasagne, plant based recipe, plant power, vegan, vegetarisch

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