Eggplant Parmesan Stacks

Stacks of roasted eggplant, vegan ricotta, tangy marinara, sauteed veggies, and vegan mozzarella!

Course Main Dish

Cuisine Gluten-Free, Italian, Vegan

Keyword easy eggplant recipe, vegan eggplant parmesan

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 30

Total Time 45

Servings servings

Calories 173kcal

Author Anjali Lalani

Ingredients

20 Baked Crispy Eggplant Rounds , or skip this step and use sliced round plain eggplant (see notes below)
12 oz marinara sauce , homemade or store bought
2 cups Vegan Basil Garlic Ricotta
vegan mozzarella cheese , see notes below (optional)
balsamic vinegar
fresh basil or parsley , finely chopped for garnish
olive oil
freshly ground black pepper
salt
red crushed peppers , optional

For the Vegetable Layer:

½ medium white onion , diced
½ large red bell pepper , diced
7-8 mushrooms , white button or cremini, stems removed and diced
1 cup spinach , chopped

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

To Prepare the Vegetable Layer:

Heat 1-2 tbsp olive oil in a non-stick pan on medium heat.
Add the chopped onions, bell peppers, spinach, and mushrooms and saute on medium-high heat, mixing frequently until they are grilled and just start to brown up. Season with some salt and set aside.

To Prepare the Layers: (see notes below)

Spread a thin layer of marinara sauce on the bottom of a large 9x13 glass baking dish.
Place a single layer of the Baked Crispy Eggplant Rounds.
Top each eggplant slice with a spoon of the Vegan Basil Garlic Ricotta. Thinly spread to cover the entire eggplant.
Sprinkle some of the sauteed veggies on top of the vegan ricotta layer.
Repeat the previous steps creating another layer of sauce, baked crispy eggplant, vegan ricotta cheese, and sauteed veggies until all the eggplants have been used, ending with sauce at the very top.
Sprinkle vegan mozzarella (if using) on top of the final sauce layer. Top with any remaining veggies (if there are some left).
Bake in the oven at 375 degrees until the mozzarella cheese on top is completely melted and the sauce/eggplants are heated through (15-20 minutes).
Drizzle some balsamic vinegar over the dish, red crushed peppers, garnish with some freshly chopped parsley and/or basil, and freshly ground black pepper. Serve hot with a side of salad or home-made garlic bread!

Notes

Eggplant - Instead of preparing the Baked Crispy Eggplant Rounds, you can skip the breading step and simply bake plain eggplant rounds in the oven until cooked through.

Toddler/Kid Version - Depending on the age of your toddler and where they are with chewing and texture, you can peel the eggplant slices prior to breading or baking, and cook the veggies slowly until they are very tender.

Vegan Ricotta Cheese - I prefer my tofu vegan ricotta recipe which only takes 10 minutes to make, but you can also get store-bought Kite Hill Almond-based vegan ricotta cheese.

Vegan Mozzarella - If you're using vegan cheese, I prefer Miyoko fresh mozzarella or shredded Follow Your Heart Mozzarella block.

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