Baked Eggplant with Pistachio Pesto and Goat Cheese

By DenaK

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 4 large egg whites, lightly beaten
• 3/4 cup plain dry bread crumbs
• 1 large eggplant, trimmed, cut into 12 slices
• 3 large tomatoes
• 1/2 cup marinara sauce , homemade or store-bought
• 1/4 cup pesto
• 1/2 cup goat cheese, crumbled
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• Pistachio Pesto
• 1/2 cup shelled pistachio
• 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
• juice of half lemon
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1/2 extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Details

Servings 4
Adapted from citronlimette.com

Preparation

Step 1

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Coat a large baking sheet and an 11″ x 7″ baking dish with cooking spray.

Combine the flour, basil, and pepper in a bowl. Pour the egg whites into a second bowl, and pour the bread crumbs into a third bowl. Working one slice at a time, coat the eggplant with the flour mixture. Then dip into the egg mixture, shaking off the excess, and then dredge both sides in bread crumbs. Place the slice on the prepared baking sheet and repeat with the remaining eggplant slices, being sure to arrange them in a single layer on the baking sheet. Lightly spray the eggplant with cooking spray. Bake 10 minutes, turn the slices, and bake for another 8 minutes.

Blend the basil leaves and pistachio with 4 tablespoons olive oil, 2 garlic cloves, lemon juice and 1 teaspoon salt with an immersion blender until smooth or with a food processor.

Cut the tomatoes crosswise to ¼” thick rounds.

Lightly oil the baking pan. Arrange 4 eggplant rounds side by side. Spread ½ Tablespoon of the marinara sauce and ½ Tablespoon of the pistachio pesto on top of each one, then generously sprinkle goat cheese. Top each with tomato rings. Add another layer of eggplant, sauce, pesto, goat cheese and tomato rounds and top with the rest of the crumbled goat cheese and sprinkle some parmesan on top.

Preheat the oven to 400F.

Drizzle some olive oil on top of each stack and bake for 15 minutes.