In the mood for a deliciously satisfying Italian dinner… but having trouble getting it to fit in your low-carb nutrition plan? You’re in luck! Below are recipes for two signature Italian dishes, one savory, the other a dessert — and both low enough in carbs to fit into any diet! Get your fork ready…

Low Carb Eggplant Parmesan

Ingredients

2 Eggplants
1 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
1.5 cup Part Skim Mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 cup Colby Jack cheese, shredded
1.5 cups Marinara sauce (look for whatever has least carbs per serving and no sugar!)
1 Tbsp dried Basil
1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
1 Tbsp dried Oregano

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Peel eggplant and slice into 1/4-inch round slices. If you have the time and/or suspect of your eggplants being bitter, you can “sweat” them out by sprinkling with salt liberally, covering them with something that will weigh them down, and letting them rest for about 2 hours (or longer). This will result in eggplants omitting juices that contain whatever bitterness was in the eggplants. You’ll want to rinse the eggplant slices thoroughly, and dry them prior to moving on to the next step.

Place half of your eggplant slices on the bottom of a cooking sheet sprayed with a cooking spray. Top with 1/2 cup of each of the cheeses, and 3/4 cup of the sauce, and sprinkle with spices.

Repeat the layering process, and finish with the spices once again. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for about 30 minutes (pull it out at this point to see whether the eggplant is tender). Once the eggplant has cooked through, top with the remaining 1/2 cup of mozzarella and bake for a few minutes longer, until cheese melts.

Makes six servings.

Nutritional Information per Serving

Calories 213
Fat 13.5g
Carbs 10.5g
Protein 18.3

Low Carb Tiramisu

This recipe has two parts: The cake (mock “Ladyfinger” cookies that you’d normally use), and the filling.

Ingredients for Cake

1 stick Butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup Splenda
1 1/4 cup Almond flour
1 egg
1 capful Vanilla extract
1 capful Almond extract
1/2 capful Orange extract
1/4 teaspoon Cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon Baking soda

Ingredients for Filling

16 oz container of whipped, low fat cream cheese at room temperature
1/3 cup Splenda or Stevia
1 capful Rum extract
1.5 cups heavy cream

1 cup cooled coffee (use flavored coffee for variety!)
1 teaspoon of dark cocoa OR dark chocolate shavings for topping

Directions

Cake:

Beat the butter with an electric mixer, adding in the Splenda once the butter begins to get light. Once combined, add the egg, and slowly mix in the almond flour. Lastly, add the cream of tartar, baking soda, and the extracts, and combine well.

Pour into a greased/sprayed square pan (9×9 works well). Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool well, and flip onto a flat surface. Cut into 16 pieces of equal size, place on a flat baking sheet, and bake for up to 10 minutes longer until the cookies start to brown around the edges and get slightly crispy.

Set aside to cool.

Filling:

Beat the sweetener into the whipped cream cheese with an electric mixer, gradually adding the rum extract into the mix. In a separate bowl, beat the heavy cream on high until light and stiff. Fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese carefully (don’t worry about incorporating the two perfectly; the lightness is more important).

Putting the two together:

Take eight of your ladyfingers, and dip each one LIGHTLY and QUICKLY into the cooled coffee, placing it immediately onto the bottom of a square bowl, wet side down. Once the eight cookies are in the bowl, brush the top sides with more coffee.

Divide your filling into two. Place one half of it over the first layer of cookies. Repeat the process with the rest of the cookies and filling, dusting with cocoa powder over the top.

Makes 16 servings

Nutritional Information Per Serving

Calories 292
Fat 22.3
Carbs 2.7
Protein 4.5