eggplant orzo casserole; from patty mcduffy weekday recipes

[Guest guest]

This looks absolutely delicious, I think.

Eggplant Orzo Casserole

Makes 8-10 Servings

Serving Size: 6 ounces

 

2 tablespoons sun-dried tomatoes, packed without oil, chopped

1/2 cup boiling water

1 tablespoon olive oil

6 cups diced and peeled eggplant (about 1-1/4 pounds)

1 large onion, diced

1 cup diced red bell pepper

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup diced tomato

3 cups cooked orzo* (about 1-1/2 cups uncooked orzo)

1 1/2 cups fat-free ricotta cheese

1 cup tomato juice

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

1 (8-ounce) can no-salt-added tomato sauce

1 cup dry breadcrumbs

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

 

*Orzo is a small " rice-shaped " pasta that cooks quickly and is often used in

soups, salads and casseroles.

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine sun-dried tomatoes and boiling water in

a small bowl, cover and let stand 10 minutes or until soft. Drain, and set

aside.

 

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add eggplant, onion,

bell pepper, and garlic and saute for 5 minutes. Add diced tomato and cook

for 2 minutes. Add sun-dried tomatoes, orzo, tomato juice, tomato sauce and

basil and stir well. Spoon orzo mixture into a 13 x 9-inch baking dish

sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Dollop ricotta cheese on top of

eggplant mixture.

 

Combine breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle crumb topping over orzo

mixture, cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Uncover and bake an additional 10 minutes or until lightly browned.

 

Per serving: cal 234, fat 4g, sat fat 1 g, chol 10mg, sod 445mg,carb 36g,

prot 14g, fib 4g

Exchanges: 1 1/2 starch/bread, 1 lean meat, 2 veg, 1/2 fat