Cheesy Marinara Baked Eggplant Slices
Roasted eggplant is layered with muenster cheese and garlic marinara sauce, making for a delicious weeknight vegetarian dinner. Fresh basil adds brightness, and the texture of the eggplant is perfect.
Yield: 3 to 4 servings
Ingredients
- 1 large eggplant or 2 small eggplants, ideally longer and skinny than wide in shape
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 25 ounce jar garlic marinara sauce, preferably Rao's because it has SO much flavor which is important for the dish
- 1 (8 ounce package) muenster cheese slices
- 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Cut top of eggplant. Slice horizontally into 1/2 inch thick slices. Toss with salt and let sit while oven heats up. After sitting for 30 minutes, pat eggplant dry with paper towels.
- Arrange eggplant slices, laying flat, on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil.
- Bake for 15 minutes, then remove from oven.
- In a shallow baking pan, spread about 1/2 cup marinara sauce on the bottom of the pan. Nestle eggplant slices into pan, it's fine if they are touching.
- Put a dollop of marinara sauce onto each eggplant slice. Top with torn muenster slices, then a leaf of basil. Top each stack with another eggplant slice, then spread about 1 cup of sauce over the entire dish. Top with torn muenster slices, to cover the dish.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, until dish is bubbling and cheese is golden brown. Remove from oven and top with more basil and red pepper flakes. Serve.
Notes
Leftovers will last for 3 days in the refrigerator.