Vegan Parmesan Ingredients
1/2 cup raw cashews
1/4 cup hemp seeds
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder
Breaded Eggplant Ingredients
1 large eggplant, cut into inch slices
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 cup whole wheat panko bread crumbs
1/3 cup vegan parmesan
2 tsp oregano
Salt
Cashew Cream Ingredients
1 cup raw cashews
1/2 cup water
1/2 tablespoon nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp miso
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
Other Ingredients
2 cups wfpb marinara (or more if serving with pasta)
Fresh basil, chopped
Whole wheat spaghetti, or your favorite pasta, prepared according to package instructions (optional)
Preheat oven to 375. Sprinkle salt over sliced eggplant and place slices in colander over sink and wait about 20 minutes. While you wait, prepare the vegan parmesan and cashew cream. For the vegan parmesan, add the ingredients to a blender or food processor and pulse for about 1 min. For the cashew cream, combine ingredients in a blender until smooth. After 20 minutes, use a paper towel to remove excess liquid from the eggplant.
In a shallow dish, whisk together flour and water. In separate shallow dish, combine bread crumbs, vegan parmesan, and oregano.
Dip eggplant slices, one at a time, in flour mixture. Then, dip in panko mixture. Place breaded eggplant on silicone- or parchment-lined baking sheet.
Bake for 30 minutes, flipping halfway.
Spread 1 cup of marinara evenly in the bottom of an 9 x 13 baking dish. Place breaded eggplant slices on top. Top each slice with a heaping tablespoon of cashew cream. For the next layer, add another cup of marinara on top and spread evenly. For the final layer, drizzle cashew cream and sprinkle vegan parmesan over the top.
Cover baking dish with foil and bake for 35 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 5 minutes.
Remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes before topping with basil and serving with spaghetti or your favorite pasta.
*Recipe inspired by mydarlingvegan.com