Polenta & Vegetable Bake

This is the perfect vegetarian casserole for cool fall evenings.

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Servings: 8 servings

Preparation time: 35 minutes
Total time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium eggplant, diced
• 1 small zucchini, finely diced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 cup water
• 10 ounces baby spinach
• 1 1/2 cups prepared marinara sauce, preferably lower-sodium
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
• 14 ounces prepared polenta, sliced lengthwise into 6 thin slices
• 1 1/2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella, divided

Preparations:

1. Preheat oven to 450° F. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add eggplant, zucchini, salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender and just beginning to brown, 4 to 6 minutes. Add water and spinach; cover and cook until wilted, stirring once, about 3 minutes. Stir marinara sauce into the vegetables and heat through, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in basil.
3. Place polenta slices in a single layer in the prepared baking dish, trimming to fit if necessary. Sprinkle with 3/4 cup cheese, top with the eggplant mixture and sprinkle with the remaining 3/4 cup cheese. Bake until bubbling and the cheese has just melted, 12 to 15 minutes. Let stand for about 5 minutes before serving.

Nutrition:

Per serving  
Calories: 216; Carbohydrates: 27g; Fat: 8g; Saturated Fat: 3g; Monounsaturated Fat: 4g; Protein: 9g; Cholesterol: 14mg; Dietary Fiber: 6g; Sodium: 670mg.