Eggplant, Mozzarella and Saffron Rice Bake
Step over eggplant parm, there's a new eggplant dish on the block! Almost like a lasagna that uses eggplant rounds instead of noodles, this baked dish is the ultimate comfort food.
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 cup arborio rice
- pinch of saffron
- ¼ cup dry white wine
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 3 large eggplants, cut crosswise into ¼" rounds
- freshly ground black pepper
- 3 cups marinara sauce
- 1 lb fresh mozzarella, cut into ¾" cubes
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese, divided
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425. Place eggplant slices on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 20-25 minutes, flipping halfway through, until tender and golden brown.
- Heat whatever olive oil is left in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion to the pan and cook, stirring, until softened, about 8 minutes. Add the rice to the pan and cook, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes. Stir in the saffron and the wine. Cook until the wine reduces a bit. Add the broth and season with salt. Cover and cook for 6 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Cover the bottom of a 9x13-inch pan with 1 cup of tomato sauce. Sprinkle ⅓ of the mozzarella and parmesan over it. Top with a layer of the eggplant rounds (about half) overlapping them so that there is no visible sauce in the pan. Add the rice to the top of the eggplant layer, spreading out so that it covers it. Sprinkle over half of the remaining sauce and another ⅓ of the mozzarella and parmesan. Add another layer of eggplant. Top with the remaining tomato sauce, mozzarella, and parmesan cheese.
- Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Remove foil cover and bake for 20 minutes more, until golden on top. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Serving size: ⅙th of recipe
Recipe by Joanne Eats Well With Others at https://joanne-eatswellwithothers.com/2013/09/eggplant-mozzarella-and-saffron-rice-bake.html