Eggplant Orzo Casserole
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1 tablespoon olive oil
6 cups diced and peeled eggplant (about 1-1/4 pounds)
1 small onion, diced
1 cup diced red bell pepper
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup diced tomato
3 cups cooked orzo* (about 1-1/2 cups uncooked orzo)
1 cup tomato juice
1 (8-ounce) can no-salt-added tomato sauce
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
1 1/2 cups fat-free ricotta cheese
1 cup dry breadcrumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Cooking Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add eggplant, onion, bell pepper, and garlic and sauté for 5 minutes. Add diced tomato and cook for 2 minutes. Add orzo, tomato juice, tomato sauce and basil and stir well. Place mixture into a 13 x 9-inch baking dish sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Drop ricotta on top of eggplant mixture by teaspoon.
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.
