My new-found love for cauliflower got me all riled up to make Cauliflower Alfredo sauce. I had seen many recipes floating around online and just had to try it for myself. To be different, instead of putting the Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce on pasta, I decided to put it on some fresh eggplant parmesan, creating eggplant parmesan with cauliflower Alfredo sauce.
Here’s how I made this delicious eggplant parmesan with cauliflower Alfredo sauce:
Wash eggplant, slice and sprinkle the slices heavily with salt. Place in a strainer for 30 to 45 minutes.
Click HERE to find out about salting eggplants.
Meanwhile, make a breading station for the eggplant. You’ll need three plates or shallow bowls:
Dish One: Combine breadcrumbs, Parmesan, oregano, basil, and cayenne, and mix well
Dish Two: Crack the eggs and lightly beat.
Dish Three: Add flour.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.After the salting, rinse and blot the eggplant slices off with a paper towel.
Brush a 9 × 12 baking sheet with olive oil.
Bread the Eggplant:
Coat each eggplant slice in the flour, shaking off any excess flour. Next, dip each slice into the egg and then into the breadcrumb mixture. Place the battered eggplant slices on the prepared baking pan. Bake for 10 minutes.
Remove the baking sheet from the oven. Carefully flip the eggplant slices over and return to the oven for 10 more minutes. Remove from oven. Place in a warm place until needed.
Prepare the Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce:
Melt the butter in a skillet over low heat, add onion, garlic and a pinch of salt. Saute on low until the onions are golden and caramelized, about 20 to 30 minutes.
In a medium sauce pot, bring vegetable broth to a boil. Drop the cauliflower into the broth and cook, until tender (7 to 10 minutes). Reserve 1 cup of the broth, then drain the rest.
Add the cauliflower, caramelized onions and garlic and ½ cup of broth, milk, and salt into a blender or food processor.
Puree until smooth. If the sauce is too thick, you may need to add another ½ cup of the broth and a little more milk to thin the sauce more.
To serve the Eggplant Parmesan With Cauliflower Alfredo:
Using a spoon, spread out enough cauliflower Alfredo sauce onto a plate to cover the bottom of the eggplant slice to lay on top of. Place each slice onto the sauce. Top each eggplant slice with a little more sauce and then place another slice on top. Make as many layers as you like. (3 to 4 layers is easiest to eat)Top the eggplant layers with a little more Alfredo and garnish with fresh basil.
Recipe Notes:
Store unused portion of the Alfredo sauce in airtight jar or container for up to 1 week.
The sauce can be made entirely dairy-free by substituting coconut oil in place of butter and almond milk instead of dairy milk.
Have you ever tried cauliflower alfredo? Comment below!
Eggplant Parmesan With Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 average size eggplant sliced into ¼-½-inch slices
- salt for salting eggplant
- 1 ½ cups plain breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese freshly grated
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 eggs lightly beaten
- extra virgin olive oil for greasing pan
- 2 cups prepared cauliflower Alfredo sauce (recipe to follow)
- fresh basil for garnish
Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce Ingredients
- 1 medium head cauliflower cut into florets
- 1 large yellow onion thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- ¾ cup whole milk
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
Instructions
- Wash eggplant, slice and sprinkle the slices heavily with salt. Place in a strainer for 30 to 45 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make a breading station for the eggplant. You’ll need three plates or shallow bowls.Dish One - Combine breadcrumbs, Parmesan, oregano, basil and cayenne, and mix well.Dish Two - Crack the eggs and lightly beat.Dish Three - Add flour.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- After the salting, rinse and blot the eggplant slices off with a paper towel.
- Brush a 9×12 baking sheet with olive oil.
- Bread the Eggplant: Coat each eggplant slice in the flour, shaking off any excess flour. Next, dip each slice into the egg and then into the breadcrumb mixture. Place the battered eggplant slices on the prepared baking pan. Bake for 10 minutes.
- Remove the baking sheet from the oven. Carefully flip the eggplant slices over and return to the oven for 10 more minutes. Remove from oven. Place in a warm place until needed.
Prepare the Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce
- Melt the butter in a skillet over low heat, add onion, garlic and a pinch of salt.
- Saute over low until the onions are golden and caramelized, about 20 to 30 minutes.
- In a medium sauce pot, bring vegetable broth to a boil.
- Drop the cauliflower into the broth and cook, until tender (7 to 10 minutes).
- Reserve 1 cup of the broth, then drain the rest.
- Add the cauliflower, caramelized onions and garlic and ½ cup of broth, milk, and salt into a blender or food processor.
- Puree until smooth. If the sauce is too thick, you may need to add another ½ cup of the broth and a little more milk to thin the sauce more.
To serve the Eggplant Parmesan With Cauliflower Alfredo
- Using a spoon, spread out enough cauliflower Alfredo sauce onto a plate to cover the bottom of the eggplant slice to lay on top of. Place each slice onto the sauce. Top each eggplant slice with a little more sauce and then place another slice on top. Make as many layers as you like. (3 to 4 layers is easiest to eat)
- Top the eggplant layers with a little more Alfredo and garnish with fresh basil.
Cheryl "Cheffie Cooks" Wiser says
Welcome back Debbie! Interesting recipe my friend.
The Mountain Kitchen says
Thanks, Cheryl! I’m sorry for not responding sooner. I just found your comments in my spam folder… How embarrassing! Not sure how that happened (gasp)
Cheryl "Cheffie Cooks" Wiser says
its different1
Mila says
That looks fun! 🙂 I love roasted eggplants, and love your idea! 🙂
The Mountain Kitchen says
Thank you, Mila! It was really good. I hope you’ll give this a try! 🙂
Annie @ Give Me Meatloaf says
With my new love of eggplant, I’m all over this!
The Mountain Kitchen says
Annie, you’ve got to try this! Just a word of caution: make sure you save plenty of the stock from the cauliflower to help thin out the sauce. Mine was a little thicker than I would have liked, but it tasted great!