cheesy baked eggplant
Noodles & Pasta
Cheesy Baked Eggplant
Slices of eggplant baked with tomato sauce and topped with melted cheese, creating a savory, hearty dish that's vegetarian-friendly.
Ingredients
- 1 eggplant, sliced into 1/2 inch rounds
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, or as needed
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder, or to taste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 small onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 small tomatoes, chopped 1 (10 ounce) package fresh spinach leaves
- 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
- 3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
- 3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese, divided
- 3/4 cup tomato pasta sauce 2 teaspoons italian seasoning
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Brush eggplant slices with olive oil on both sides, and place them on a baking sheet. Sprinkle garlic powder over the top. Bake for 10 minutes.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, tomatoes and spinach. Cook and stir for a few minutes until fragrant, and the tomatoes have released their juices. In a medium bowl, mix together 1/2 cup of ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese, and 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese. Set aside.
- Place the eggplant slices in a greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Top with the spinach mixture. Spoon the cheese mixture over the spinach, and spread into a thin layer. Pour the spaghetti sauce over the cheese layer. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese over the top. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning.
- Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until heated through and the eggplant is easily pierced with a fork.
