Filling me softly
This zucchini eggplant casserole is inspired by Parmigiana di Melanzane, which I very recently had for the first time with a friend of mine in Berlin. I wondered if it was possible to turn this into a healthy, aka less calorie-intensive dish, without compromising on the amazing taste.
The wonderful thing about the original Italian dish is the incredible softness of the aubergine, so smooth in fact that it essentially melts on your tongue. Mark my words – this was the first time in my many years on this beautiful planet that I liked something that mainly consists of eggplants. I realized, however, that you can make this delicious meal just as good by using zucchini.
Servings: 4 * Calories per serving: 299 kcal * Preperation time: 35 min * Start to finish: 1hr 30min
Ingredients
- 2 zucchinis or eggplants/aubergines
- 14 ounces (400 grams) of peeled or crushed tomatoes
- 1 medium-sized onion
- 4.5 ounces (125 grams) of mozarella
- 5 tablespoons of olive oil
- One handful of fresh basil
- 1 garlic clove
- Salt
- Ground pepper
How to prepare zucchini eggplant casserole
Cut the zucchini or eggplant (whichever you prefer) into thick slices (1/3 of an inch or 0.7-0.8 centimeters). Salt them on both sides generously. Let them sweat out the liquid for approximately 30 minutes. Meanwhile, cut the onion and garlic clove into small dices. Soak up excess water on the zucchini/eggplant slices with a paper towel. Then bring a pan to medium heat and add the olive oil. Cook the vegetables in it until they are soft and place them in a large casserole dish so that they cover the entire base.
Next, add the onions and garlic to the pan, let them cook by themselves for 2-3 minutes. Then add the tomatos and Basil, as well as the ground pepper and let everything simmer for 10 minutes. Afterwards, pour the tomato sauce over the vegetable slices. Cover it with the mozarella slices or grated mozarella. Place the casserole in the pre-heated oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit/200 degrees Celsius and let it bake for 25 minutes.
