Eggplant Parmesan

By Joelene

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon(s) olive oil, plus more for the baking sheet and foil
• 1 large egg
• 2 egg whites
• 1 cup(s) panko bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup(s) all-purpose flour
• 2 medium (about 2 1/4 pounds total) eggplants
• 1 container(s) (16-ounce) lowfat small-curd cottage cheese
• 1 container(s) (15-ounce) part-skim ricotta
• 6 ounce(s) part-skim mozzarella, grated (1 1/2 cups)
• 1/2 cup(s) grated Romano or Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoon(s) grated Romano or Parmesan cheese
• Black pepper
• 1 cup(s) roughly chopped fresh basil
• 1/2 cup(s) roughly chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 2 1/2 cup(s) jarred marinara sauce

Preparation

Step 1

Heat oven to 450 degrees F. Lightly oil two large rimmed baking sheets. Beat the egg and egg whites together in a shallow bowl. Place the bread crumbs and flour in separate shallow bowls. Add 1 tablespoon oil to the bread crumbs and mix to combine.
Slice the eggplants into 1/2-inch-thick rounds. Dip the eggplant rounds in the flour, then the eggs (letting any excess drip off), and finally in the bread crumb mixture, pressing gently to help them adhere; transfer to the prepared baking sheets. Roast until the eggplant is golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 400 degrees F.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the cottage cheese, ricotta, 1 cup mozzarella, 1/2 cup Romano, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Fold in the basil and parsley.
Spread 1/2 cup marinara on the bottom of a 9- by 13-inch baking dish. Top with a layer of eggplant (8 to 12 slices) and 1/2 cup marinara, and dollop with a third of the ricotta mixture (about 1 1/2 cups). Repeat eggplant, marinara, and ricotta layers twice. Top with the remaining 1/2 cup marinara. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella and 2 tablespoons Romano.
Cover the dish tightly with an oiled piece of foil and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake until the top is light golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes more. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.