Couscous Bake

Ingredients

• Olive oil

  Salad or cooking

  2 tbsp or 27g

• Eggplant

  Raw

  1 cup, cubes or 82g

• Zucchini

  Summer squash, includes skin, raw

  1 medium or 196g

• Pasta sauce

  Spaghetti/marinara, ready-to-serve

  1 ½ cup or 386g

• Couscous

  Dry

  1 cup or 173g

• Mozzarella cheese

  Part skim milk

  ½ cup, shredded or 56g

• Water

  Plain, clean water

  1 ½ cup or 355g

• Spinach

  Raw

  5 cup or 150g

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Dice the eggplant and zucchini, then add them to the skillet with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender and just beginning to brown, about 4 to 6 minutes.
2. Add the spinach to the skillet, cover, and cook until wilted, stirring once, about 3 minutes. Stir in the marinara sauce and heat through for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in basil.
3. Bring water to a boil in a pot. In a large bowl, combine the couscous and boiling water with a pinch of salt, then cover with a plate. Let sit for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
4. Spread the couscous in a single layer in the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with half of the mozzarella cheese, top with the eggplant mixture, and then sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake until bubbling and the cheese has just melted, about 12 to 15 minutes. Let stand for about 5 minutes before serving.