Eggplant Timbale

from the cookbook "Giada at Home"

Tonight I tried Eggplant Timbale for the first time. It was very good, but I learned some lessons.

#1 place a baking sheet under your springform pan ( Thankfully, I learned this quickly!)

#2 no need to spray or grease the pan

Eggplant Timbale: serves 8 ( 7 points +)

• 2 medium eggplant, sliced lengthwise into 1/4" slices
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 lb. whole wheat penne pasta
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1/2 lb. extra lean ground beef ( 95% lean)
• 1 can peas, drained
• 2 c. tomato sauce, seasoned to your liking and cooked for about 20 minutes.
• 1-1/2 c. shredded part skim mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 c. Parmesan or Romano cheese

Place a grill pan over medium heat ( I used a George Foreman). Spray the pan with cooking spray. Sprinkle eggplant slices with salt and pepper. Grill on both sides until tender and colored with grill marks. Set aside.

Meanwhile, cook pasta. Drain. Place pasta in a large bowl.

Brown meat with onion; drain. Add meat mixture to pasta. Add peas, 1-1/2 c. tomato sauce, mozzarella and all but 1 T. Parmesan cheese. Stir. Preheat oven to 350. Line a 9" springform pan with eggplant, making sure the slices overlap and hang over the edge of the pan;reserve a few slices.

Fill pan with pasta mixture. Fold over eggplant and top with reserved slices.Place springform pan on a baking sheet and bake for 30-35 minutes or until heated through.

Cool for 10 minutes in pan before inverting to a serving dish. Remove pan.Top timbale with remaining 1/2 c. tomato sauce and 1 T. Parmesan cheese.