Quick and Delicious Eggplant Primavera
My eggplant primavera recipe is perfect for those nights when time is of the essence, but you still want a healthy dinner.
This is similar to pasta primavera, but my recipe is pasta-free since the eggplant serves as a healthier replacement.
I also like this recipe because it is a great way to use up all the veggies in the fridge. The veggie combinations that can be included in eggplant primavera are endless, so feel free to experiment with whatever you have on hand.
However for this recipe’s sake, here’s how I mad mine…. This time anyway!
Eggplant Primavera
Ingredients
- 1 large eggplant cut in thin slices and then quartered
- 1 head of broccoli cut to small florets
- ½ a white or red onion sliced
- 2 cups sliced mushrooms
- 1 large red bell pepper sliced
- 1 15 fl oz jar of your favorite pasta sauce
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 10 ounces chicken breast, boneless skinless cubed
- ¼ teaspoon garlic salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- In a large skillet with 2 teaspoons olive oil, sauté the eggplant, onion, broccoli, mushrooms, and red pepper. season with a little of the garlic salt and the pepper. Sauté until the veggies are a little tender and the eggplant looks partially translucent.
- While the veggies are sautéing, in a small skillet sauté the chicken with 1 teaspoon of olive oil and the rest of the garlic salt. Cook until cooked through, but don’t over cook or it will be dry.
- Heat the pasta sauce in a sauce pan or the microwave.
- Once everything is cooked/ heated, place ¼ of the veggie and eggplant mixture in a pasta bowl. Top with ¼ of the chicken, pasta sauce, and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
- Dig in!
Nutrition
Recipe Variations
Eggplant primavera can easily be made vegetarian by omitting the chicken and vegan by also omitting the cheese. Perhaps add a can of rinsed black beans for extra protein.
Again, vegetable combinations are numerous, but here are some of my favorites besides what’s listed above.
- Yellow squash
- Zucchini
- Cauliflower
- Peas
- Carrots
- Spinach
- Kale
- Snow peas
- Fresh banana pepper for a little spice
A white mild fish also works just as good as chicken.
Replacing one cup cooked pasta with one cup cooked eggplant saves about 160 calories.