Recipe Box, Eggplant Parmigiana Soup & Pasta Alfredo with Brussels Sprouts and Bacon

the Painted Apron

9 years ago

I saw this Eggplant Parmigiana Soup on the Food Network recently and couldn’t wait to give it a try. It is tomato soup topped with eggplant “croutons” and they are baked instead of fried

I didn’t know if this was going to be substantial enough for HH by itself so I amped up the meal by adding a side of pasta topped with roasted brussels sprouts and thick cut applewood smoked bacon

Sigh, life is just a bowl of cherries when you have a meal like this…

Now this probably sounds like a lot of fuss and trouble, but I promise, I prepped it in 30 minutes, sat down and had a glass of wine while everything was cooking

Let me show you some shortcuts I took to make this funky version of Eggplant Parmigiana so easy

I bought the soup from the deli 🙂 No judging please, it’s the holidays 🎄

After setting up a breading station for the eggplant, I thought, ~~this is going to be a giant pain in the a~~ a lot of trouble, so I got out a large ziplock

In went the eggplant cubes, the scrambled egg, toss, toss, toss,

add breadcrumbs, toss toss toss, add Parmesan, toss toss toss. And bingo, that’s done

Put the eggplant croutons on an olive oil sprayed foil lined baking sheet and sprinkle with more Parmesan

Lay out the bacon strips on a parchment paper lined baking sheet leaving an inch between strips

Place the brussels sprouts, washed and trimmed and cut in 1/2, between bacon strips. Try not to put the brussels sprouts on top of the bacon because the bacon won’t crisp. Season the sprouts with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Cooking the sprouts in between the bacon strips allows them to get even more flavor from the rendered bacon fat

The bacon pan and the eggplant pan go in the oven at the same time, at 400 for 30 minutes, rotating pans after 15 minutes

The eggplant croutons have a flavorful frico [baked cheese] crust after cooking and you can eat them like candy!

While the vegetables are cooking, warm the soup and cook the pasta. Drain pasta and return to pot. Turn burner to lowest setting. Add pasta sauce to taste, I used about 1/2 cup to moisten, I wanted the brussels sprouts to be the star, not the sauce. Stir to heat. Cover and keep warm until serving

When vegetables are done, cut the bacon into 2″ pieces with scissors. Toss the brussels sprouts and bacon into the pasta. Season with salt and pepper and stir to combine

To serve, top the soup with a large slice of Asagio cheese and a mound of eggplant parmigiana croutons. Serve pasta along side the soup

The weight of the croutons will sink the cheese slice into the hot soup

Eggplant Parmigiana Soup

Course Main Course, Soup

Cuisine American, Italian

Keyword Eggplant Parmesan, hearty soup, Italian soup, soup, tomato soup

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 30

Servings 4

Ingredients

4 cups prepared tomato bisque
1 large eggplant
1 egg
1/2 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
1/2 cup grated or shaved Parmesan cheese
4 sandwich size slices Asagio cheese
olive oil cooking spray

Instructions

Cut ends off eggplant and discard. Cut the eggplant into 4 thick slices, then into large “croutons.” Place cubes into large ziplock bag. Add egg and toss to coat.
Add breadcrumbs, a 1/4 cup at a time and toss to coat. Add 1/2 of the Parmesan and toss. Turn eggplant croutons onto an olive oil sprayed foil lined baking sheet.
Sprinkle with more Parmesan and spray with olive oil spray. Bake at 400 for 30 minutes, or until crispy and golden. While eggplant is cooking, heat the soup and keep warm. To serve, ladle soup into individual bowls, top with a slice of cheese and then eggplant croutons. Serve immediately. Makes 4 servings

These croutons would make a great appetizer too, served with some warm marinara for dipping

Butternut Squash Noodles with Brussels Sprouts and Bacon Alfredo

A complete meal in one dish. lo-carb and easy to prepare! Substitute broccoli for Brussels Sprouts if desired.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword Alfredo sauce, bacon, Brussels sprouts, butternut squash and bacon casserole, butternut squash noodles, lo carb dinner

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 30

Servings 2

Ingredients

16 Brussels sprouts
6 slices thick cut applewood smoked bacon*
olive oil
salt and pepper
4 cups buttternut squash noodles
1/2-1 cup Light Alfredo Sauce I used Classico
fresh Parmesan for garnish

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Lay bacon strips on a parchment paper lined baking sheet, with spaces between strips. Wash brussels sprouts, trim ends and cut in half, pat dry. Place sprouts in between bacon strips, being careful not to put them on top of bacon. Drizzle with a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Check after 15 minutes and remove bacon strips as they become done, continuing to check every 2 minutes, and removing bacon and sprouts to paper towels to drain after they are cooked. You want the bacon crisp and the Brussels sprouts slightly charred.
Add butternut squash to the same baking sheet and toss it around in the rendered bacon fat and season with salt and pepper. Return to oven for 5-7 minutes until noodles soften
Cut bacon into 2 inch pieces with scissors. Spray a baking dish and add noodles, bacon and Brussels sprouts. Drizzle with Alfredo, you can use a lot or a little, whatever your preference. Add some of the Parm and toss to combine. Add more cheese on top.
Cover and refrigerate at this point before baking if desired
Bake uncovered at 350 degrees until hot, about 30 minutes