Eggplant Lasagna

Ingredients:

1 large eggplant

Olive oil cooking spray

1 cup shredded mozzarella

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

snipped fresh parsley

Sauce:

1/2 cup onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp. olive oil

1 15-oz. can low-sodium diced tomatoes, undrained

2/3 cup tomato sauce

1 Tbs. oregano

1 tsp. basil

1/4 tsp. onion powder

  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Wash and cut the unpeeled eggplant into 1/4 - 1/2 inch slices.  Spray a 9x13 baking pan with cooking spray and lay out the slices in the bottom of the pan, overlapping a little if necessary.  Spray eggplant with cooking spray and bake for 30 minutes, flipping the slices halfway through. 

  While the eggplant is baking, prepare the sauce.  Saute the onion and garlic in olive oil until tender.  Add in tomato sauce and seasonings.  Reduce to simmer for about 15 minutes. 

  Remove eggplant from oven.  Being careful of the hot dish, layer mozzarella over the eggplant.  Spoon the sauce over the cheese.  Top with parmesan cheese and parsley.  Bake for an additional 30 mintues at 350 degrees.

  Adding sauted mushrooms or black olives to this recipe is another option, depending on your tastes.  For those on a restrictive sodium diet, beware that cheese is high in sodium so you'll need to structure your diet accordingly.  We all recognize that noodles and bread are often just a vehicle for eating sauce and cheese.  Substituting eggplant is surprisingly satisfying and makes this dish a lower carbohydrate option.