grilled vegetable parmesan

Grilled veggies had yet to make an appearance this spring and I thought this would be the perfect way to re-introduce them into my meals! The recipe inspiration came from Giada. It is a bit time consuming (at least when grilling vegetables with a miniature grill) but so worth it. The vegetables are tender-crisp and the flavor from peppers, onions, fennel and eggplant are perfect with fire-roasted tomato sauce. Serve with crusty bread and some red wine.

Vegetable Parmesan - 4 servings adapted from Giada De Laurentiis

• 1 red pepper, sliced into 4 pieces
• 1 eggplant, sliced into 1/2″ thick slices
• 1 red onion, sliced into 1/2″ thick slices
• 1 large fennel bulb, sliced into 1/2″ thick slices
• jar of fire roasted tomato sauce
• 1/4 lb. sheeps milk pecorino romano, shredded
• 1/2 cup whole wheat panko bread crumbs
• basil and red pepper flakes for garnish

Pre-heat oven to 400° F. Heat grill and mist all veggies with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Grill eggplant for about 3 minutes per side and set aside. Repeat with all vegetables. Cut pepper into strips after grilling. Pour 1/2 cup sauce on bottom of a 9×13 pan. Spread out with a spoon. Layer on eggplant, more sauce and a little cheese. Repeat with remaining vegetables, sauce and cheese. (Essentially making a lasagna) Top with 1/2 cup bread crumbs and bake for about 25-30 minutes until cheese has melted and sauce is bubbly.

Don’t forget about the tea give-away!

Related posts:

1. grilled cauliflower, sage & brown butter
2. spring vegetable pasta
3. eggplant, caramelized onion & goat gouda sandwich
4. warm winter-vegetable salad
5. shaved brussels sprouts with pancetta & parmesan