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Today, I am telling you to turn your oven on.
I know a lot of you are like she’s crazy, BUT it was thunder storming all day yesterday. Basically, just the kind of weather that makes you want to curl up and take a nap. Actually, it didn’t just rain, it hailed, and if you have ever experienced Colorado hail, well then you know,  one – it’s HUGE, and two – it hurts.
I know this because I decided I’d better get the garbage in before it poured and filled the empty cans up. Only I procrastinated and waited till the last possible second. I walked outside and it began hailing.
Of course.
I seriously have little pellet marks in my skin from the hail hitting me so hard. And the trash? The trash is something you totally need a boyfriend for. Definitely a guy’s job.
So yeah, yesterday I just needed to turn on my oven and bake something a little cozy.
I also really, really needed to use up my eggplant, as you can see from the above photo. Every year I buy eggplant with the idea that for some reason I will like it a little bit more than the year before, but then it sits in my fridge forever because I don’t know what to do with it. So when in doubt, bake it and cover it in cheese. Works out pretty good every time.
Since I am not hugely in love with eggplant I made this with zucchini too. It was a good idea because it gives the dish a little different texture and well, it’s not just a bunch of saucy eggplant and cheese. Now there is zucchini in the mix too!
Oh, and of course the quinoa. Well I wasn’t sure how the quinoa part to this would work, but it actually turned out pretty awesome. While baking, the quinoa soaks up some of the sauce (so use extra sauce if you like things saucy) and becomes chewy with a slight bit of crunch to it. It’s the perfect texture, plus it bumps up the health factor which of course, is a nice little bonus.
And even though this takes a little time to make, most of the time is in the baking. It’s a pretty simple and straight forward recipe. You can even assemble the whole thing in advance and then just bake before dinner. Perfect summer supper!
Of course it doubles quite nicely as a great cozy comfort meal on a rainy summer day!
Quinoa Crusted Baked Three-Cheese Zucchini and Eggplant Parmesan.
Ingredients
- 1 in medium eggplant, sliced 1/2 inch slices
- 2 in small to medium zucchinis, sliced 1/2 inch slices
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa
- 1 cup whole wheat panko bread crumbs, may use regular or [gluten free | http://www.amazon.com/Aleias-Gluten-Panko-Crumbs-Original/dp/B008PA9TUE/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1405535558&sr=8-2&keywords=gluten+free+bread+crumbs] if needed
- 3/4 cup freshly grated parmesan, divided
- 3 eggs, beaten, divided
- 16 ounces whole or part-skim ricotta cheese
- 1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced or grated
- pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
- salt and pepper
- cooking spray
- 4 ounces fontina cheese, shredded
- 4-6 cups of [your favorite pasta sauce | https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/crockpot-brown-butter-marinara-sauce/]
- 8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced
- your favorite cooked pasta, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease a baking sheet or line with parchment.
- In a medium bowl combine the quinoa, bread crumbs and 1/2 cup parmesan cheese. In another smaller bowl whisk together the eggs.
- Working in an assembly line dip the zucchini and eggplant slices through the eggs and then dredge them through the quinoa mixture, very gently shaking to remove excess. Place on the prepared baking sheet and continue with the remaining zucchini and eggplant slices. If you are having trouble getting the quinoa to adhere to the veggies, just sprinkle the quinoa over both sides of the veggies and place on the baking sheet. It will bake together in the oven. Sprinkle the veggies generously with salt and pepper. Spray lightly with cooking spray or olive oil spray. Bake for 25-30 minutes rotating the pan after 15 minutes. The veggies should be lightly golden and crisp.
- Meanwhile, add the remaining 1 egg, 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, ricotta cheese, basil, garlic and crushed red pepper to a bowl. Mix until smooth.
- Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish or other dish equivalent in size. Spread about 1-2 cups of pasta sauce on the bottom.
- Place a layer of zucchini and eggplant over the sauce. Spread half the ricotta mixture over the zucchini and eggplant. Spread another cup or so of pasta sauce over top. Layer with more zucchini and eggplant, saving a few for the final layer. Sprinkle the veggies with the fontina cheese and then add the remaining ricotta mixture plus another cup or so of sauce. Add the remaining zucchini + eggplant and then pour the remaining sauce over top. Cover tightly with foil and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes, remove and top with the mozzarella. Bake un-covered for 15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbling. Serve with hot pasta and fresh parmesan.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
And be sure to serve this over pasta. Like do not even think about skipping it.
I really loved this recipe. I ended up cubing the veggies and tossing them in the egg then in the breadcrumb mixture. It worked well and less messy than doing the slicing.
Hi! I’m so so glad you enjoyed this recipe! Thanks for giving it a try! xT
OMG – this recipe is amazing. I made it because I had some tomatoes, zucchini and eggplant to use up and never ever would I have come up with something like that. The crunch of the quinoa, the creaminess of the ricotta….there is nothing more to add.
You really are the queen of flavours and textures. We will never be able to enjoy a zucchini and eggplant bake other than this!
Awesome! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Have a great week! xT
excellent
Thank you!
pic nice
Thank you!
Mmmmm that pizza looks amazing! I am surely going to try it out this week 🙂
Hope you love it! Thanks!
Loved this one!
Really looking forward to trying this one! Tieghan, do you rinse the quinoa first, or just plop it right in? I have done both in other recipes, with differing results. I want to get this one right from the get go. Happy culinary creating!
I like to rinse the quinoa first. Let me know if you have any other questions. Hope you love this!
Hi – this is an inspired recipe, and you are one clever cook! I had some questions as it baked, would it get ‘goopy’ with lots of liquid on the bottom as the servings were dished out? Would the quinoa really bake sufficiently if it was not cooked first? Would the eggplant and zucchini end with with a palatable texture or …..? Positive results on all counts! This is delicious, and I think tastes even better (if that’s possible) a couple of days after baking. This is something I would proudly serve company – and I will!
Next up, your chocolate seed bars…. Thanks for these great dishes!
I have all of the ingredients ready for this recipe and I would love to divide the recipe in half and use a smaller casserole as pictured to share with a neighbor. Have you ever done that?
Hey Rosemary,
That should totally work well for you! Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan