Eggplant Parmesan

Ingredients

• 1 cup shelled hemp seeds
• 0.5 cup nutritional yeast (For hemp Parmesan)
• 0.75 tsp salt (For hemp Parmesan)
• 0.5 tsp garlic powder (For hemp Parmesan)
• 0.5 tsp onion powder (For hemp Parmesan)
• 0.5 tsp MSG (For hemp Parmesan)
• 0.25 tsp lactic acid (For hemp Parmesan)
• 8 oz silken tofu (For Not-zarella)
• 0.25 cup nutritional yeast (For Not-zarella)
• 0.5 tsp garlic powder (For Not-zarella)
• 0.25 tsp onion powder (Finely ground; for Not-zarella)
• 0.5 tsp white vinegar (For Not-zarella)
• 0.5 tsp MSG (For Not-zarella)
• 0.25 tsp salt (Add more to taste; for Not-zarella)
• 0.125 tsp lactic acid (For Not-zarella)
• 1 tbsp tapioca starch (For Not-zarella)
• 0.5 cup soy milk (For Not-zarella)
• 1 large eggplant (Sliced into 1/4-inch slices)
• 0.333 cup cornstarch (For the initial dry coating)
• 2 tbsp cornstarch (Added later to the coating mixture)
• 0.25 tsp salt (For Bowl 1)
• black pepper (A few cracks; for Bowl 1)
• 0.25 cup soy milk (Reserved for Bowl 1)
• 1 cup gluten-free panko (For Bowl 2)
• 2 tbsp prepared hemp Parmesan (Or use pre-made plant-based Parmesan)
• 0.5 tsp dried oregano (For Bowl 2)
• 0.25 tsp dried basil (For Bowl 2)
• 0.25 tsp salt (For Bowl 2)
• oil (For cooking and spritzing the eggplant)
• pasta sauce (Pasta sauce of choice, heated)
• 16 oz gluten-free pasta (The authors used red lentil spaghetti; cook according to package instructions)

Steps

1. 1

   Make the hemp Parmesan: add the shelled hemp seeds, nutritional yeast, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, MSG, and lactic acid to a blender or food processor. Pulse until powdered.

2. 2

   Make the Not-zarella: combine the silken tofu, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, finely ground onion powder, white vinegar, MSG, salt, lactic acid, tapioca starch, and soy milk in a blender. Blend until smooth.

3. 3

   Transfer the blended Not-zarella mixture to a small saucepan. Heat over medium heat, stirring often, until thickened. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and continue stirring occasionally until ready to use.

4. 4

   Slice the eggplant into 1/4-inch slices.

5. 5

   Cook the gluten-free pasta according to the package instructions. Drain as directed and set aside for serving.

6. 6

   Heat the oven to 425°F while heating a large frying pan over medium-high heat.

7. 7

   Prepare Bowl 1 by adding 1/3 cup cornstarch, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and a few cracks of black pepper to a large bowl.

8. 8

   Dip each eggplant slice into the dry cornstarch mixture, coating both sides. Knock off the excess starch.

9. 9

   Once all the eggplant slices have been coated, add the remaining 2 tablespoons cornstarch and the reserved 1/4 cup soy milk to Bowl 1. Mix well to combine into the wet coating mixture.

10. 10

    Prepare Bowl 2 by combining the gluten-free panko, prepared hemp Parmesan, dried oregano, dried basil, and salt.

11. 11

    Dip each eggplant slice into the wet mixture, then coat it with the panko-Parmesan mixture.

12. 12

    Add the coated eggplant slices to the heated frying pan in batches. Spritz both sides with oil and cook until the coating is starting to brown.

13. 13

    As the eggplant slices finish cooking on the stovetop, transfer them to a large baking sheet and spritz them with more oil.

14. 14

    When all the slices are on the baking sheet, place them in the preheated oven and cook for 15 minutes.

15. 15

    Flip the eggplant slices and add another spritz of oil. Increase the oven to broil, approximately 500°F, and return the baking sheet to the oven for 5–10 minutes.

16. 16

    Remove the eggplant from the oven. Add a dollop of heated pasta sauce and prepared Not-zarella to each piece, then give them another spritz of oil.

17. 17

    Broil the topped eggplant for another 5 minutes, or until browned, crispy, and bubbling.

18. 18

    Add the remaining pasta sauce to the cooked pasta and toss to combine. Serve the sauced pasta alongside the eggplant, with additional hemp Parmesan.

Notes

The source does not specify the amount of pasta sauce or cooking oil, so add them according to preference. The frying-pan browning time is not specified. The recipe uses red lentil spaghetti as an example of gluten-free pasta, but any gluten-free pasta may be used.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• Italian-inspired
• vegan
• vegetarian
• gluten-free
• dairy-free
• baked
• crispy