Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 cup breadcrumbs made from a 2-ounce slice of day-old sourdough bread
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 medium eggplant (about 1 1/4 - 1 1/2 lbs)
- olive oil spray
- 3 medium tomatoes
- 8 ounces mozzarella cheese, sliced or shredded
- 2 cups tomato basil sauce or marinara sauce, either homemade or your favorite
- 2 ounces parmesan cheese, grated
- 15-20 fresh basil leaves
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 375 F on convection mode. Line a 18" by 13" sheet pan with aluminum foil and parchment paper.
- In a small bowl stir together the olive oil and garlic. Add to the breadcrumbs and mix to combine. Add a pinch of salt and pepper to season. Put the seasoned breadcrumbs onto the prepared baking sheet and place into oven and bake until golden and crisp, about 8-10 minutes. Set aside to cool, then transfer from the sheet pan back into the small bowl.
- Increase the oven temperature to 425 F on convection. Slice the eggplant into 12 rounds, about 1/2-inch thick each and place in a single layer onto the sheet pan. Spray the eggplant with olive oil spray and season with salt and pepper. Turn slices over and repeat process of spraying with olive oil spray and seasoning with salt and pepper. Place in oven and roast for 15 minutes. Flip them over and cook an additional 15 minutes.
- Slice the tomatoes and the mozzarella cheese to get 12 slices of each. Layer the eggplant slices with the tomato and mozzarella slices, slightly overlapping on the baking sheet. Spoon marinara sauce over the top then top with the breadcrumb mixture and parmesan cheese. Return sheet pan to oven and bake until the cheese melts and the sauce is bubbly, about 15-20 minutes. Top with coarsely chopped or torn basil leaves before serving.
Categories
- Dinner
- Lunch
- Vegetable
- Vegetarian
- MHealthy