Leaning Eggplant Towers

A dollop of pesto adds the finishing touch to these summery stacks. Leslie Lennox

Leaning Eggplant Towers

Chef’s Notes: My husband, Dave, has had great success growing different varieties of eggplant in our garden. This recipe is a wonderful reinvention of classic eggplant parmesan, although ours involves no frying, which translates to great flavor and fewer calories—win-win! If you are using this recipe as a main course, try making a double-stacked tower. Another way to serve this is on ciabatta bread for a sandwich on the go.

Makes 2 entrée servings or 4 first-course servings Total Time: 75 minutes

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large or 2 medium eggplants, sliced crosswise into a total of 8 (1/2-inch-thick) medallions
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 tomatoes, sliced crosswise into 8 (1/2-inch-thick) medallions
• 1 large white or red onion, sliced crosswise into 8 (1/2-inch-thick) medallions
• 1 (1-pound) mozzarella ball, sliced crosswise into 8 (1/2-inch-thick) medallions
• 1/2 cup pesto
• 2 cups quartered cherry tomatoes
• 4 ounces capellini

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly grease a 9 x 13-inch oval gratin or baking dish. Set both aside.