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Eggplant and Tomato Gratin

5.0(208)

This is a delicious, low-fat version of eggplant Parmesan. Instead of the usual heavy, breaded fried eggplant, here the eggplant is roasted and sliced, then layered with a rich tomato sauce and freshly grated Parmesan, and baked in a hot oven until bubbly.

by Martha Rose Shulman

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Servings

Serves 6

Total time

1h 30m

Calories / serving

203 kcal

Ingredients (13)

serves

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oilextra-virgin-olive-oil
1 small or 1/2 medium onion, choppedonion
2 to 4 garlic cloves (to taste)garlic
2 pounds fresh tomatoes, quartered if you have a food mill, peeled, seeded and chopped if you don’t, or 1 1/2 (28-ounce) cans chopped tomatoes, with juicetomato
Salt and freshly ground peppersalt-and-pepper
1/8 teaspoon sugarsugar
2 sprigs fresh basilbasil
2 pounds eggplant, roastedeggplant
Salt and freshly ground peppersalt-and-pepper
2 tablespoons slivered fresh basil leaves
2/3 cup freshly grated Parmesanparmesan
1/4 cup breadcrumbsbreadcrumbs
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oilextra-virgin-olive-oil

Instructions (4 steps)

01Roast the eggplant.
02Meanwhile, to make the tomato sauce, heat the olive oil in a large, heavy, preferably nonstick skillet over medium heat and add the onion. Cook, stirring, until tender, about 5 to 8 minutes, and add the garlic. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about a minute, and add the tomatoes, salt (1/2 to 1 teaspoon), pepper, sugar, and basil sprigs. Turn the heat up to medium-high and when the tomatoes are bubbling, stir well and turn the heat back to medium. Cook, stirring often, until the tomatoes have cooked down and are beginning to stick to the pan, about 25 minutes. Remove the basil sprigs, wiping any sauce that adheres to them back into the sauce.

04Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Set aside 1/4 cup of the Parmesan and mix with the breadcrumbs. Oil a 2-quart gratin or baking dish with olive oil. Spread 1/2 cup tomato sauce over the bottom of the dish. Slice the roasted eggplant about 1/4 inch thick and set an even layer of the slices over the tomato sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon a layer of sauce over the eggplant and sprinkle with basil and Parmesan. Repeat the layers one or two more times, depending on the shape of your dish and the size of your eggplant slices, ending with a layer of sauce topped with the Parmesan/breadcrumb mixture you set aside. Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil over the top. Place in the oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until bubbling and browned on the top and edges. Remove from the heat and allow to sit for at least 10 minutes before serving. Serve hot, warm, or room temperature.

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Rich recipe — supports nutrition-aware planning.