Keto Eggplant Parmesan with Pork Panko

I’m Italian. Keto Eggplant Parmesan is pure comfort food, the kind of food that makes my eyes close at the first bite. It’s the dish my Aunt Rita taught me to make. I always think of her when I’m making eggplant, and she was my favorite aunt.

She taught me to sweat the eggplant and cut it into thick pieces. She even had an extra large frying pan, called her eggplant pan.  Aunt Rita never stacked the eggplant, always putting the thick slices on one layer in a pan.

I have a particularly fond memory of making this dish with her along with her signature dish, stuffed shells, one I need to make soon for this site.

Far too often I have avoided making eggplant parmesan because of the breadcrumbs. I made a baked eggplant parmesan here, but honestly my memories of an authentic eggplant parmesan include breadcrumbs. This is why I was so happy to receive a few bags of  Pork Panko, which is pork skins processed into panko bread crumbs, making a keto eggplant parmesan possible without compromise.

I am under no obligation to talk about the product nor am I being paid, but honestly, I can’t stop sharing the good news about Pork Panko. I successfully made keto panko-crusted zucchini here and from that point, I’ve been making all kinds of Italian dishes.

If you are eating a grain free, keto or low carb diet, you will not have to miss dishes that require breading. Pork Panko fries just like panko breadcrumbs.

One bag of pork panko has enough panko for  several recipes and is processed into just the right size crumb. I can’t get over how well it works.

The Process for Keto Pork Panko Eggplant Parmesan

We love salty, tangy Pecorino Romano, which I add to the panko to give it a boost of flavor. I cut thick slices and sweat the eggplant to remove moisture.  We dip the eggplant into the breadcrumbs, fry on low heat in a large frying pan, drain on paper towels. See this post on how to fry the eggplant without oil. 

Nutrition Value for Panko Eggplant Parmesan

The eggplant is then transferred to a baking dish with tomato sauce and cheese and baked until the cheese is properly melted. I estimate the net carbs at about 5 carbs. However, there are too many variables for me to to list a nutrient count.  The carbs will be in the eggplant and tomato sauce, and will depend on how much you use.

Nutrition Questions about Keto Eggplant Parmesan

The questions you are most likely to ask:

How many carbs are in an eggplant? 1 medium sized eggplant has 27 carbs, 14 fiber, thus, 13 net carbs.

How many carbs are in tomato sauce? 1 cup is 16 carbs, 13 net carbs. 

How many carbs are in this total recipe? Approximately 52 net carbs. at 10 servings, each serving is approximately 5 carbs. Keep in mind there are variables to this net carb count.

More Eggplant Recipes from Spinach Tiger

Keto Fried Eggplant

Eggplant Soup

Ground Veal Stuffed Eggplant

Baked Eggplant Parm

Print Recipe

5 from 4 votes

Keto Eggplant Parmesan with Pork Panko

Prep Time1 hr

Cook Time20 mins

Total Time1 hr 20 mins

Course: Entree

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: 8

Author: Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 2 eggplants
• salt
• 4 eggs may use less
• 2 cups pork panko ORDER HERE
• 1 cup pecorino romano grated
• 2 cups tomato sauce recipe here
• 1 pound mozzarella cheese shredded
• olive oil coconut oil or avocado oil for frying

Instructions

• Slice eggplant. I like it medium thick, about 1 inch if I'm baking it without stacking it. I recommend first slicing off the dark skin.
• Sweat the eggplant. Lay out on cloth or paper towels and salt heavily on both sides. Use more cloth or paper towels to absorb the liquid.
• Beat 2 eggs. Use more as needed.
• Add salt and pepper into eggs.
• Mix panko with cheese. I like to use 1/2 cup cheese to 1 cup pork panko, but you can decide for yourself. Keep in mind that pecorino is salty, but I think that adds flavor. You CAN skip the pecorino, if you want to or replace with parmesan.
• Dip into egg, then breadcrumbs and fry eggplant over medium heat in oil of your choice until golden brown on each side. Drain on paper towels. If you are using a copper chef non-stick pan (I highly recommend for this), you don't need any oil and you will get a very crispy eggplant.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Put tomato sauce in bottom of baking dish.
• Layer eggplant with sauce and mozzarella cheese. I like one layer,but you can make several layers.
• Bake until cheese is completely melted and slightly golden brown. Allow to rest 10 minutes before cutting.

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