This Skinny Eggplant Parmesan can be made in the oven or the air fryer! It has way fewer points than traditional Eggplant Parmesan.
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The main reason why this Skinny Eggplant Parmesan has fewer points is because it’s not fried.
I made this in my air fryer and it was delicious! I will also include directions to make it in the oven. Both are great options.
Another thing I did to lighten up this recipe was to make my own sauce. Canned tomato sauce is 0 points. I simply added seasonings to it and it tasted great.
Plus it’s still 0 points! A 1/2 cup of light spaghetti sauce is 2 points. It would have been an additional 18 points if I used store bought sauce.
I started the Skinny Eggplant Parmesan by getting the sauce going. I wanted to give it time for the flavors to come together.
I added the tomato sauce to a pan with dried minced onion, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, oregano, basil, salt and pepper. I let that simmer while I started getting the eggplant ready.
You do not need to peel the skin of the eggplant. In fact, that’s where most of the nutrients are.
I cut the eggplant into 1/2 inch pieces, then sprinkled both sides with salt. I let them sit for 15 minutes. The salt helps draw out some of the moisture of the eggplant.
While that sat I put my egg in a small bowl. I beat it with 1 tablespoon of water.
In another bowl I added 1/2 cup of breadcrumbs with garlic powder, Italian seasoning and salt.
THIS IS IMPORTANT: You will only use about 1/4 cup of the breadcrumbs, so when I calculated the recipe I did it as 1/4 cup of breadcrumbs instead of 1/2 cup. It makes it much easier to coat the eggplant if you have more of the breadcrumbs.
The next step was to coat each piece of eggplant in the egg, then into the breadcrumbs. Making sure each piece of eggplant is completely covered.
Whether you are using an air fryer or baking it in the oven you will want to spray the eggplant with olive oil spray. This will help get it crispy while it bakes.
To bake in the oven simply add it to a preheated 400 degree oven and bake 20 minutes, flipping the eggplant over half way through.
If you are making it in the air fryer you will cook it for 8 minutes, flipping half way through. I could only fit 4 pieces of eggplant at a time, so I had to do two batches. You definitely want to cook them in a single layer so they don’t get soggy.
Once the eggplant was cooked I added it to a baking pan, covered it with the sauce, Parmesan cheese and mozzarella cheese. I put it in the oven for 8 minutes to melt the cheese.
This is the air fryer that I have:
I have been really happy with it! There is so much you can do with it. Even my kids use it to reheat pizza. It works great.
If you’re looking for more air fryer recipes check these out:
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Yield: 6 servings (2 points per serving for MyWW blue and purple, 3 points per serving for green)
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- 30 oz. tomato sauce
- 1 teaspoon dried minced onion
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon basil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 large eggplant
- 1 egg, plus 1 tablespoon water
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded
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Add the tomato sauce and seasonings to a pan. Bring to a light simmer, then cover with a lid. Stir occasionally.
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Cut eggplant into 1/2 inch wedges. Sprinkle both sides with salt and set aside for 15 minutes.
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Add the egg and water to a small bowl. Whisk together.
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To another small bowl add the breadcrumbs, garlic powder, Italian seasoning and salt. Stir together.
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One at a time dip each piece of eggplant into the egg first, then the breadcrumbs. Make sure both sides are covered in breadcrumbs. Spray both sides of the eggplant with olive oil spray.
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Spray the air fryer with cooking spray and add the eggplant in a single layer, you might have to do two batches.
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Cook in the air fryer 8 minutes at 350 degrees, turning half way through.
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Add eggplant to a baking dish and cover with sauce. Sprinkle on Parmesan cheese and mozzarella cheese.
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Bake at 400 degrees F. for 7 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.
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Spray a baking sheet with no-stick cooking spray, then add the egg plant slices.
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Bake at 400 degrees F. for 20 minutes, flipping half way through.
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Add eggplant to a baking dish and cover with sauce. Sprinkle on Parmesan cheese and mozzarella cheese.
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Bake at 400 degrees F. for 7 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.
If you’re looking for some zero point recipes, check out my post 20 Zero Point Recipes or my post 20 (More) Zero Point Recipes. Both are filled with delicious recipes that won’t cost you a single point! They’re perfect for days when you’re running low on points, or trying to save up points for a night out.
If you’re looking for dessert recipes you can visit 50 Weight Watchers Freestyle Desserts. It’s filled with delicious desserts perfect for Weight Watchers!
Beth
June 24, 2023 at 10:49 pmMade this for a vegetarian friend and it was a big hit. Expected leftovers but it was so good that we ate the whole thing. Eggplant was crispy without being oily.
keepingonpoint
June 25, 2023 at 6:16 pmThat’s great!!