Are you looking for recipes that include more veggies? I'm always on the lookout to bump up this important food group in my families meals. This vegetable parmesan is meatless and stars plenty of vegetables with a terrific Italian flavor profile. I got the basic recipe from Giada and changed just a few ingredients to make this perfectly processed free and delicious!
Coconut oil
Sea salt and pepper
1 medium eggplant
2 fennel bulbs
3 bell pepper (preferably all different colors)
1 (26 oz.) jar marinara sauce (no sugar added)
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup freshly grated parmesan
1/2 cup whole wheat panko or whole wheat bread crumbs
Slice the eggplant and fennel into 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick slices. You may want to discard a few of the outside layers of the fennel bulbs to make them more tender. Cut the peppers into flat strips. Don't they all look beautiful?
Now you will do one of two things. You can either grill all the vegetables or bake them in the oven. I chose to grill mine like the original recipe. You want to grease your grill or grill pan with coconut oil and season the vegetables with salt and pepper. Grill them for about 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until they have softened. If you don't want to grill them, put them in a baking dish at 375 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes or until soft. Don't forget to still season them. I like the flavor that grilling them offers, but do whichever is easiest.
Just a quick note: you could always grill or bake these in advance and assemble the rest of the casserole later. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Now your ready to create the layers. Spread 1/3 of the marinara in the bottom of a 9 X 13 inch baking dish that has already been greased with coconut oil. Arrange a layer of eggplant slices and sprinkle 1 cup of mozzarella and 1/3 cup of parmesan over the top. For the second layer, add the bell peppers, followed by another 1/3 of the marina, 1 cup of mozzarella, and 1/3 cup of parmesan. For the last layer, add the fennel and top with the remaining sauce and cheeses. To finish it, sprinkle on the bread crumbs. You can drizzle a little olive oil on top too. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until the top is golden. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.
