Low Sodium Eggplant Parmesan Recipe
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Jump to RecipeThis low sodium eggplant parmesan recipe is a tasty, hearty, and flavorful dinner you can make with simple ingredients! This delicious vegetarian dinner is made with crispy baked eggplant slices, cooked pasta, and delicious low sodium marinara sauce.
The eggplant is light and crispy – coated with flour, egg, and low sodium panko breadcrumbs and baked to perfection. Top with a no-salt-added marinara, fresh basil, and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese on top.
Want more low sodium vegetarian dinner ideas? Try our low sodium ricotta cheese pizza, low sodium stuffed shells, and our favorite low sodium Pad Thai!
If you’re looking for a super tasty low sodium vegetarian dinner idea – this easy eggplant parmesan is SO delicious! Instead of making our regular low sodium chicken parmesan, so we wanted to switch it up and make a great meatless version… and we gave this one a 10/10!
Start by baking slices of eggplant to remove the moisture, then coating them in a low sodium breadcrumb mix, and baking again to golden perfection. This recipe takes a bit of prep work, but it is absolutely worth it – or you can double the recipe and enjoy this for a few nights of leftovers.
Why This Recipe Works
- It’s crispy, crunchy, and so delicious.
- A great vegetarian meal idea – perfect for Meatless Mondays or as a great low sodium Lent recipe.
- It’s a low sodium version of a classic Italian dish.
- Versatile – you can serve this recipe with your favorite low sodium tomato sauce.
Low Sodium Vegetarian Recipes
You can enjoy so many flavorful low sodium recipes without meat, and this eggplant parm is a wonderful example! We only eat meat once or twice a week actually, so the majority of our meals are meatless.
Enjoy low sodium vegetarian recipes any night of the week. We have lots of meat-free recipes on this site that are low in salt, so browse through them and dig in!
Some of our favorites are low sodium chickpea curry, low sodium black bean tacos, and our super creamy low sodium mac and cheese.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Eggplant – I like large, deep purple eggplant for this recipe. I sliced mine in 1/2 inch slices and baked it first to get some moisture out.
All Purpose flour for the eggplant coating
Egg to keep the breadcrumbs sticking to the eggplant.
Low sodium panko breadcrumbs – Look for unseasoned breadcrumbs! There are a few different varieties I can find in my stores. Check the aisle with Asian foods for plain Panko – I used some with 40mg of sodium per half cup, which is a great low so option!
Italian Seasoning Blend: usually has thyme, basil, rosemary, parsley, etc. Make sure you get a no-salt-added variety!
Low Sodium Spaghetti Sauce – I made mine from scratch, but you can use a store-bought variety if one works with your nutritional needs. Making it is simple – simmer no-salt-tomatoes, spices, and a bit of white wine while the eggplant is baking!
Spaghetti – to serve with the chicken and marinara sauce. I used a whole wheat spaghetti which had 0mg sodium.
Fresh basil for a fresh & herby flavor, almost all of my recipes include parsley. I always buy a few bunches every time I get groceries.
Parmesan Cheese – I used this parmesan cheese, which has 55mg per tablespoon.
See the recipe card below for a full list of instructions and ingredient amounts!
How To Make This Recipe
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Slice your eggplant to 1/2 inch-thick slices. Place them on a baking sheet, and bake for 20-22 minutes until some of the moisture has baked out. Allow them to cool.
Step 2: Meanwhile, heat up your low sodium tomato sauce (I’ll link to my favorite recipe below) and cook on low heat, covered, until simmering.
Step 3: Take 3 bowls and place them on the counter. Fill one with the all purpose flour, one with the eggs (and give them a light scramble with a fork), and the last bowl with low sodium breadcrumbs and the Italian seasoning.
Step 4: Take each baked eggplant slice and dredge it through the flour first, then dip it in the egg mixture, and then coat it in breadcrumbs.
Step 5: Repeat until all eggplant slices are coated.
Step 6: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the coated eggplant slices in the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.
Step 7: While the eggplant is baking, cook your pasta according to package instructions (don’t salt the pasta water). Drain and set aside.
Step 8: Assemble your plate: in a bowl or on a plate, add the cooked pasta, top with the low sodium tomato sauce, and add slices of the baked eggplant. Top with fresh basil and a small sprinkle of parmesan cheese. Enjoy!
Recipe FAQs
This low sodium eggplant parmesan has just 164 mg sodium per serving, as it uses low salt and low sodium ingredients. Restaurant or commercially prepared eggplant parm may have more sodium, depending on the ingredients used. If you can ask for nutritional information at a restaurant, do inquire before ordering.
Store any leftover eggplant in an airtight container, separately from the sauce or the pasta. To reheat leftover eggplant, you can microwave for a minute until warm, air fry the leftovers, or bake for a few minutes in the oven.
While the eggplant parm is best fresh, you can make and freeze the eggplant slices in airtight freezer bags, and freeze for up to 3 months. Store the eggplant after coating in the breadcrumbs, but before the final baking.
Expert Tips
I baked my eggplant first to get some of the moisture out. That helped keep my coated eggplant nice and crisp in the oven when I did the final bake.
You could add some low sodium mozzarella packed in water to this dish – add thin slices of mozzarella on top of the eggplant slices and bake for an additional 5 minutes until the cheese is bubbling. This will add more sodium to the dish, so be sure to factor that in for your dietary needs.
More Low Sodium Italian Recipes
- Low Sodium Alfredo Sauce Recipe
- Low Sodium Pizza Recipe
- Homemade Low Sodium Caesar Dressing Recipe
- Low Sodium Bolognese Sauce Recipe (No Salt Added)
- Low Sodium Chicken Marsala Recipe
Let’s keep in touch – don’t forget to follow over on Instagram, Facebook, & my Youtube channel for more easy low sodium recipes.
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Low Sodium Eggplant Parmesan
Equipment
- Baking Sheet
- 3 Bowls
Ingredients
- 1 large eggplant
- 4 cups low sodium tomato sauce
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 2 eggs
- 1.5 cups low sodium panko breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 8 ounces pasta I used angel hair
- ¼ cup fresh basil
- 4 tablespoons parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Slice your eggplant to 1/2 inch-thick slices. Place them on a baking sheet, and bake for 20-22 minutes until some of the moisture has baked out. Allow them to cool.
- Meanwhile, heat up your low sodium tomato sauce (I'll link to my favorite recipe below) and cook on low heat, covered, until simmering.
- Take 3 bowls and place them on the counter. Fill one with the all purpose flour, one with the eggs (and give them a light scramble with a fork), and the last bowl with low sodium breadcrumbs and the Italian seasoning.
- Take each baked eggplant slice and dredge it through the flour first, then dip it in the egg mixture, and then coat it in breadcrumbs.
- Repeat until all eggplant slices are coated.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the coated eggplant slices in the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.
- While the eggplant is baking, cook your pasta according to package instructions (don't salt the pasta water). Drain and set aside.
- Assemble your plate: in a bowl or on a plate, add the cooked pasta, top with the low sodium tomato sauce, and add slices of the baked eggplant. Top with fresh basil and a small sprinkle of parmesan cheese. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition estimate (for 1 serving)
*Please note, all nutrition content is estimated based on the ingredients we used in our kitchen. It will vary based on your ingredients. Always check your nutrition labels to verify your nutrition content and sodium amounts.
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I loved creating this delish low sodium vegetarian recipe for you! If you make it, please leave us a comment and rating below!