Lighter moussaka
130 min · 34 g protein · 416 cals / serving
Layers of soft, golden roasted eggplant, zucchini and potato with a rich beef and tomato sauce perfumed with cinnamon, allspice and red wine, under a thick, custardy topping that bakes to a puffed, golden-brown crust. It slices into proper squares once it has rested, and it is the Greek Sunday dish all the way through.
Ingredients
Vegetables
- 3 medium eggplant, in 1 cm (1/2-inch) slices
- 2 medium zucchini, in 1 cm (1/2-inch) slices lengthwise
- 2 medium gold potatoes, peeled, in 5 mm (1/4-inch) slices
- 1 tbsp olive oil, for brushing or spraying
- 1/2 tsp salt
Meat sauce
- 1 lb 2 oz ground beef (95% lean), or lean ground lamb
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- scant 1/2 cup red wine
- 1 can (14 oz) canned crushed tomatoes
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground allspice
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped
Topping
- 2 tsp butter
- 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 1/4 cups 1% milk
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan, or kefalotyri
Steps
- Heat the oven to 425°F. Brush the eggplant, zucchini and potato slices lightly with the oil, season with salt and spread over two or three lined baking sheets. Roast 25–30 minutes, turning once, until soft and golden.
- Meanwhile, brown the beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat, breaking it up, 6–8 minutes. Add the onion and garlic and cook 5 minutes, pour in the wine and let it bubble away, then add the tomatoes, tomato paste, cinnamon, allspice, oregano, salt and pepper. Simmer 20 minutes until thick, then stir in the parsley.
- For the topping, melt the butter in a saucepan, whisk in the flour for 1 minute, then slowly whisk in the milk and cook, whisking, until thick and smooth. Take off the heat, stir in the nutmeg and leave 5 minutes, then whisk in the yogurt, eggs and half the cheese.
- Lower the oven to 350°F. In a 23 × 33 cm (9 × 13-inch) dish, layer the potatoes, the zucchini, half the eggplant, all the meat sauce and the rest of the eggplant. Pour the topping over, smooth it and scatter with the remaining cheese.
- Bake 40–45 minutes until puffed and deep golden. Rest at least 20 minutes before cutting into squares.
Good to know
Why roast the eggplant?
Fried eggplant soaks up oil like a sponge, which is where most of a classic moussaka's calories come from. Roasted slices turn just as soft and sweet with a fraction of the oil.
Lamb or beef?
Both are traditional in Greece. Lean ground lamb gives a richer, more aromatic moussaka, at about 55 instead of 64; keep it lean and pour off any fat after browning.
Can I make it ahead?
Assemble it up to a day ahead and keep it covered in the fridge; bake 10 minutes longer. It also cuts more neatly when reheated the next day.
Alternatives
Per
- Calories
- 94
- Protein
- (34%)
- 8 g
- Fat
- (31%)
- 3 g
- Carbohydrates
- (36%)
- 9 g
- of which sugar
- 4 g
- Fiber
- 2 g
- Sodium
- 184 mg
About 25% of the alcohol remains after cooking; the label counts only that.
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Computed from the ingredients with our published formula, not yet kitchen-tested. General guidance, not medical advice. Talk to your prescriber. How
As written, 2496 kcal goes into the pot and 3903 g of ingredients comes out as about 2650 g of food: 94 kcal per 100 g. Cooking moves water and energy density is the score's biggest lever, so the dish is scored as cooked, not as an average of its parts. Every ingredient links to its food page, with the same data and score. The label's percentages are each macronutrient's share of the calories. The full formula.