Happy Sunday! Sunday at our house is our favorite day to meal plan and cook. We often make this eggplant “Parmesan” on Sundays since we have more time to cook and relax.
This recipe does take a while so plan for 30-45 minutes of active time and 20 minutes of cook time. But for how long it takes to cook is well worth it. We have had traditional (read: dairy filled) versions of eggplant parm before and they don’t taste nearly as good as this. This isn’t soggy and isn’t loaded with (too) many calories. Served over a garlicy red sauce and noodles, it is a comfort meal worthy of a Sunday dinner.
Sundays during the summer often call for BBQ ribs and pork belly, but in our house, Sunday is comfort food day. We (meaning my husband) bakes bread, I make cookies and meal plan, and we have a dinner together that took effort to make. During the week we rush around and I plan “quick” meals for every evening, but Sunday is full of taking our time and enjoying the processes of cooking.
This eggplant parm is vegan, however if you’re a dairy-holic, you can sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the top of the eggplant and bake an additional five minutes after the regular cook time is over. I suggest that you serve this with a fresh salad and oven roasted veggies. The oven is on already, might as well make the most of it!
This recipe has multiple steps which will require you to use a lot of your kitchen. You will need a colander, 3 small to medium sized bowls, parchment paper, large cookie sheet, a spatula or tongs, a pot for the pasta, and a pot for the sauce. Enlist your significant other or kids to help clean up as you go!
Eggplant Parm {Vegan}
Get ready to impress with this non-dairy eggplant parm. It is warm, comforting, and easy to make.
Ingredients
– 1 large eggplant
– 1 c. all purpose flour
– 1 tbsp. arrow root or cornstarch
– 1/2 c. dairy free milk (I used almond milk)
– 2 c. panko bread crumbs
– 1 16oz can tomato sauce
– 1 package spaghetti
– 3 cloves garlic
– 1/2 large yellow onion, finely diced
– 1 large carrot, diced
– 1 tbsp olive oil
– 3 tsp. paprika, separated
– 1 tbsp rosemary
– 1 tbsp thyme
– pepper to taste
– salt to taste
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 425F. Fill a large pot with water and place on stove to heat up to a boil.
2. Take your washed eggplant and cut it into 1/4 inch thick slices (coins). Lay the eggplant slices in the colander, trying not to overlap too much. Lightly run cold water over the eggplant for a few seconds and then heavily salt. Let stand for 10 minutes.
3. While your eggplant is resting, get three small bowls ready. Bowl 1 will be milk and 1 tsp paprika, bowl 2 is flour, arrowroot, and 1 tsp paprika, and bowl 3 is panko and 1 tsp paprika.
4. After 10 minutes is up, lightly rinse the eggplant and lay flat on a clean, dry towel. Make sure the eggplant slices are fully dry before starting the dredging process.
5. To completely dredge the eggplant, dip the slice in milk, then flour, then milk again, and finally dip it in panko. In each bowl, make sure to completely coat the slice. After it is completely coated in milk, flour, and panko, place the eggplant on a large, parchment paper covered baking sheet.
6. Once all slices are on the baking sheet, bake in oven for 10 minutes.
7. During the first half of the bake, saute garlic, onion and carrot with olive oil in a deep saute pan. Once the vegetables have started to caramelize, add in canned sauce along with the rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper. Let simmer until the eggplant is done cooking.
8. After the first 10 minutes of cook time, pull the eggplant out of the oven and flip over each slice. Place back in the oven and cook for an additional 10 to 12 minutes. Put spaghetti in water to cook.
9. Once your timer goes off after 10 minutes, the eggplant, spaghetti, and sauce will be finish. Serve immediately.