- 2 (1 pound) eggplants
- 3 egg whites
- 3 tablespoons water
- 1 cup fine dry breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 1/4 cup slivered fresh basil leaves
- 2 1/2 cups tomato sauce
- 3/4 cup grated part-skim mozzarella cheese
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly oil two baking sheets or coat them with nonstick cooking spray. Also oil an 8-by-11 1/2-inch baking dish or coat it with nonstick cooking spray.
- Cut eggplants crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Whisk egg whites and water in a shallow dish until frothy. Combine breadcrumbs, 1/4 cup of the Parmesan, salt and pepper in another shallow dish. Dip the eggplant slices into the egg-white mixture, then coat with the breadcrumb mixture. (Discard any leftover breadcrumbs and egg white.) Arrange the eggplant slices in a single layer on the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 15 minutes, turn the eggplant slices over, and bake until crisp and golden, about 15 minutes longer.
- Stir basil into tomato sauce. Spread about 1/2 cup of the sauce in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Arrange half of the eggplant slices over the sauce, overlapping slightly. Spoon 1 cup of the remaining sauce over the eggplant and sprinkle with half of the mozzarella cheese. Add a layer of the remaining eggplant slices and top with the remaining sauce, mozzarella and Parmesan. Bake, uncovered, until the sauce bubbles and the top is golden, 15 to 20 minutes.