• 2 Tbs. olive oil
• 1 cup onion, chopped
• 1 cup mushrooms, chopped
• 1 cup zucchini, chopped
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. oregano leaves, rubbed
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 3 Tbs. tomato paste
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 2 large eggplants, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch slices
• 2 cups milk
• 2 Tbs. unsalted butter
• 3 Tbs. all purpose flour
• 1/8 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp. white pepper
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Heat olive oil in a heavy saucepan over medium high heat. Sauté onion 4-5 minutes until lightly browned. Stir in mushrooms and zucchini and sauté 2 minutes. Stir in next 6 ingredients and salt and pepper to taste. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally until most of liquid has evaporated. Remove from heat and set aside.

Turn on broiler. Arrange eggplant slices on an oiled broiler rack. Broil 3-4 minutes per side until browned. Set aside. Make bechamel sauce by scalding milk in a heavy saucepan over medium high heat until tiny bubbles appear. Remove from heat. Melt butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat until just bubbling. Do not brown. Slowly whisk in the flour, stirring constantly until smooth. Do not brown. Slowly whisk in hot milk, stirring constantly 2-3 minutes until mixture is thickened. Remove from heat. Stir in seasonings and set aside to cool slightly. Beat ricotta cheese in a bowl until creamy. Gently fold ricotta into the bechamel sauce. Stir in beaten eggs until thoroughly incorporated.

Preheat oven to 300°F. Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking pan and sprinkle the bottom with 2 Tbs. breadcrumbs. Place a layer of eggplant in the pan. Spread a layer of tomato mixture over top. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese. Repeat layering as long as ingredients last. Pour the ricotta sauce over the top and bake 1 hour, or until top is golden. Transfer moussaka to a wire rack and let stand 20-30 minutes before slicing.

This recipe serves 8 people. Due to the nature of this recipe, it adjusts the number of servings in multiples of 8 only.

Per serving: calories 363, fat 17.3g, 42% calories from fat, cholesterol 86mg, protein 16.5g, carbohydrates 36.3g, fiber 7.8g, sugar 15.0g, sodium 700mg, diet points 7.6.

Dietary Exchanges: Milk: 0.2, Vegetable: 3.2, Fruit: 0.0, Bread: 0.9, Lean meat: 1.2, Fat: 2.8, Sugar: 0.1, Very lean meat protein: 0.0

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The recommended wines are: Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, or Gewürztraminer.