Cheesy Eggplant Pasta Bake
Pull this from the oven and the mozzarella is still stretching, Parmesan edges browning, balsamic tomato sauce bubbling through every gap between the grilled eggplant slices. 852 calories and 41 grams of protein from nothing but cheese, pasta, and vegetables.
The sauce does double duty: tomato paste for depth, diced tomatoes for texture, a splash of balsamic vinegar for an edge most pasta bakes are missing. Eggplant slices get grilled instead of fried, so they stay light enough to let the double-cheese crust take center stage. Twenty-five minutes, one baking dish, no meat.
Ingredients
- penne, whole wheat 3 ounces
- eggplant 1
- garlic 1 clove
- olive oil 1.5 tablespoon
- tomato paste 1 tablespoon
- diced tomatoes 5 ounces
- balsamic vinegar 1 tablespoon
- Italian seasoning 1 teaspoon
- water 3.5 fluid ounce
- vegetable bouillon 0.5 cube
- mozzarella, low-moisture part skim 2 ounces
- Parmesan cheese 1 ounce
Method
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Cook the pasta for 4–5 minutes, drain and set aside.
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Preheat the oven to 390°F (200°C).
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Slice the eggplant into thin pieces and finely chop the garlic.
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Brush the eggplant slices with half of the oil. Heat a grill pan and grill the slices for 3–5 minutes on each side.
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Heat the remaining oil in a pan. Briefly sauté the garlic with the tomato paste.
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Add the diced tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, Italian seasoning, water and bouillon cube. Let simmer for 3–5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
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Stir the pasta into the sauce.
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In a baking dish, layer the pasta with sauce, grilled eggplant, mozzarella pieces and Parmesan cheese. Repeat the layers and finish with sauce, mozzarella and Parmesan on top.
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Bake for 15 minutes until golden brown. Serve warm.
Eggplant is a sponge. Pan-frying a full eggplant can absorb over 40 grams of oil on its own. Brushing the slices with a thin layer before grilling keeps the fat where the recipe designed it, around 42 grams total.
The 615 milligrams of calcium from the mozzarella and Parmesan in this bake may compete with lycopene from the tomato sauce. A randomized crossover trial found a comparable calcium dose reduced lycopene absorption by 83%. The flip side: cooking diced tomatoes in olive oil, exactly what this sauce does, has been shown to boost lycopene absorption by 82%. The sauce and the cheese are pulling in opposite directions.
Calcium-Lycopene Competition · DOIWhy This Works
Behind this recipe
Is 852 calories a lot for one person?
It depends on your daily target. For someone eating 2,000 calories per day, this meal is about 43% of their intake, a hefty dinner that leaves room for a lighter breakfast and lunch. Pooled data from 5,192 participants found that total daily calories, not meal size or carb distribution, determined fat loss outcomes.
Read the full evidence reviewDoes it matter that I'm eating 78 grams of carbs at dinner?
Not for fat loss. A controlled trial found that participants who ate most of their carbs at dinner lost more weight and body fat than those who spread them evenly throughout the day. The 78 grams here come mainly from whole wheat pasta and diced tomatoes, both contributing to the 13 grams of fiber that slows digestion.
Read the full evidence reviewWhy grill the eggplant instead of frying it?
Eggplant has a spongy cell structure that absorbs oil unlike almost anything else in the produce aisle. Pan-frying can add over 40 grams of extra fat to a single serving. Grilling with a light brush of oil keeps the fat at the recipe's designed 42 grams while still giving you those charred, slightly smoky edges.
