Grilled Eggplant and Zucchini Parmesan
Click here for printable recipe
My very first job in a restaurant kitchen was as the pastry chef for a small mom-and-pop Italian restaurant. How I got that job with no experience is a story for another day. But after working there for about 6 months, I moved to working on the hot line part time. One of my responsibilities was to make the batches of eggplant parmesan and lasagna. I loathed doing the eggplant because this meant I had to stand over a scalding rondo pan of hot oil and fry rounds of eggplant for what felt like days.
Later, when I was a head chef in another resaurant and would somehow end up with an extra case of eggplant, I never forgot how much I hated all that frying and came up with a much healthier version of the dish, grilling the eggplant instead.
I haven’t made this for over a decade, but lately it’s been on my mind, along with the ever-present need to use up excess zucchini from my garden. Recently, a couple of commenters on the blog mentioned using zucchini in a lasagna-like dish so when I decided to make the eggplant parm, I thought I might as well toss some in there too.
One of the nice things about this dish is that while it does have a fair amount of cheese, I think it’s pretty healthy because the eggplant isn’t fried and thus does not soak up a ton of oil. Grilling the vegetables also does two things; removes excess water so you don’t end up with a “soupy” dish, and the little bit of char on the eggplant skin adds a nice bit smoky flavor to the dish.
Grilled Eggplant and Zucchini Parmesan
2 zucchini, about 1 lb each
2 Italian eggplant, about 1 lb each
12 oz fresh ricotta
6 oz grated parmesan cheese
6 oz grated mozzarella cheese
16 oz marinara sauce
2-3 Tbsp. fresh herbs (I used basil, thyme, parsley, and oregano), chopped
olive oil
Pre-heat the grill. I used my gas grill outside, but you could also use a grill pan on the stove. I have an All-Clad LTD Grille Pan
Cut off the ends of the zucchini and slice lengthwise, about 3/8″ thick. Cut off the end of the eggplant and slice lengthwise, about 3/8″ thick. Drizzle the vegetables with olive oil and grill until tender.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
To assemble the dish, put a couple of tablespoons of marinara sauce on the bottom of a 9″x13″ baking dish and spread around to cover the bottom of the pan.
Put down a layer of grilled zucchini slices. On top, add some crumbled ricotta (about 4 oz), parmesan cheese (2 oz), mozzarella cheese (2 oz), and dot on top more tomato sauce. Sprinkle on some of the chopped mixed herbs.
Repeat the process with a layer of grilled eggplant. For the top, I had just enough of zucchini and eggplant to alternate to make a 3rd layer. Top with remaining sauce, cheese, and herbs.
Cover the pan with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil after 30 min and let the top brown, about 5-10 minutes more. Remove from the oven and let rest 5-10 minutes; it’s easier to cut when it cools slightly.
Kristina, this looks and sounds amazing. I will definitely have to try out your recipe while we can get fresh seasonal zucchini & eggplant. Thank you for sharing it!
YES! I just walked past a display of beautiful eggplant and told my husband I wouldn’t buy any until I found a recipe.
Tiffany- I know how you feel about eggplant; this is the perfect “starter” dish for you.
I love this recipe. A good way to serve eggplant to those who think they don’t really like it.
Bet the grilling brings another flavor layer to the dish.
Your grill looks suspiciously like mine. I have a DCS. Love it, but hate to clean it.
This is my kind of meal! I love grilled veggies and I love the way you put them all together. Fabulous!
My boyfriend is vegetarian and for Meat-eater Me it’s always a challenge coming up with something to cook for him when we eat at my place.
This looks good though and not too difficult (and not only because I can prepare it in advance so all we have to do is put it in the oven. Win!), I’ll definitely try this the next time.
Yes, you can absolutely prepare this in advance! If it’s going from refrigerator to oven though, it may need a slightly longer cooking time. Enjoy!
We tried it now. Enormous success. Thanks. :9
I made this and it was excellent, really excellent. Now I’d like to know if you can provide a low-fat zucchini lasagna somewhat like Stouffer’s lean cuisine used to make, but better.
I’ve never had Stouffer’s zucchini lasagna, but I imagine you could recreate it along the same lines as this recipe. Did it have actually pasta in it or was it replaced with just the zucchini?
I would grill the zucchini still, using a non-stick spray like Pam to keep it from sticking to the grill (yes, the spays work great when grilling and will have less calories and fat than the olive oil). Grilling the zucchini will remove some of the water from it so it doesn’t become soupy when you bake it. Then, I would use low or non fat ricotta and mozzarrella cheeses in the dish. Finally, with Lean Cuisines, it’s all about portion control; they are so low in calories because the portions are quite small. After you make it, you could probably freeze the leftovers in individual portions a la Lean Cuisine.
Just like my mother and my aunts used to make when I was a kid. Delizioso! I went to the farmers market and got the ingredients and I’ve been cooking all day. I made enough to give to my grown daughter and her family, even my ex-wife picked up a pan. Its been forty years since my last eggplant lasagna and I owned an Italian restaurant for forty-six years.I must admit, I’m a meat lover, so I stewed some grilled Italian sausage links in the marinara for a couple of hours. You know how it is, I had to add my own touch. Thanks for bring back to mind a fantastic comfort food.
The addition of sausage is never a bad thing! Sounds great, thanks for letting me know.
Kristina…
I am going to make this recipe this weekend (well, at least attempt to make it!) for my mom and friend as a pre-Rome celebration…along with a bottle of Orvieto Classico!
Marcy-You can do it! Let me know if you have questions.