Obsession confession: I love this stuff so much I sometimes eat it for breakfast! Eggplant plays the part of pasta here … and it does a fantastic job!
½ of recipe (2 manicotti): 264 calories, 10.5g total fat (6.5g sat fat), 816mg sodium, 24.5g carbs, 7.5g fiber, 14.5g sugars, 20.5g protein
You’ll Need: baking sheet, 8-inch by 8-inch baking pan, nonstick spray, 2 medium bowls, skillet
Prep: 15 minutes • Cook: 45 minutes
Four ½-inch-thick eggplant slices (cut lengthwise from the center of a medium eggplant)
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup canned crushed tomatoes
½ cup finely chopped onion
¾ cup light/low-fat ricotta cheese
¼ cup chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
½ teaspoon chopped garlic
⅛ teaspoon black pepper
⅓ cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
Optional topping: additional chopped fresh basil
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a baking sheet and an 8-inch by 8-inch baking pan with nonstick spray.
2. Sprinkle eggplant with ¼ teaspoon Italian seasoning, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, and ⅛ teaspoon salt.
3. Lay eggplant on the baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes.
4. Flip eggplant. Bake until slightly softened and lightly browned, about 10 more minutes.
5. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine canned crushed tomatoes with ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning and remaining ¼ teaspoon garlic powder. Mix well.
6. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.
7. Thoroughly blot eggplant dry, and set aside.
8. Bring a skillet sprayed with nonstick spray to medium-high heat. Cook and stir onion until slightly softened and lightly browned, about 2 minutes.
9. Transfer onion to a second medium bowl. Add ricotta, basil, Parm, chopped garlic, pepper, remaining ¼ teaspoon Italian seasoning, and remaining ⅛ teaspoon salt. Mix until uniform.
10. Spoon ¼th of the ricotta mixture (about ¼ cup) onto the bottom of an eggplant slice. Roll up eggplant, and place in the baking pan, seam side down.
11. Repeat to make 3 more manicotti.
12. Evenly top with seasoned tomatoes. Bake until hot and bubbly, about 20 minutes.
13. Top with mozzarella. Bake until melted, about 3 minutes.
MAKES 2 SERVINGS
Chew on This …
Here’s a head scratcher. Eggplants aren’t really vegetables; they’re berries! CRAZY.