Traditional moussaka

Moussaka may be assembled 1 day in advance and refrigerated; bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes, or until the center is hot.

2 cups plain nonfat yogurt

1 pound ground turkey

1 yellow onion, cut into 1/4 -inch dice

1 garlic clove, minced

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon coarse salt, plus more for eggplant

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes, coarsely chopped

1/4 cup tomato paste

1/4 cup chopped fresh oregano

1 / 2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

2 medium eggplants (about 2 pounds)

Olive oil cooking spray

1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated Parmesan cheese

1 large egg plus 1 large egg white

• Drain the yogurt in a cheesecloth-lined sieve until thickened, 2 hours or overnight.
• Heat the turkey in a medium saucepan over medium; cook until browned, about 6 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a medium bowl. Add the onion, garlic, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, and pepper to the saucepan; cook until the onion is translucent, about 10 minutes. Return the turkey to the saucepan; add the tomatoes, tomato paste, and oregano. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer until the sauce has thickened, about 1 hour. Remove from heat; stir in the chopped parsley. Set aside.
• Heat the broiler. While the sauce cooks, cut the eggplants into 1 / 4 -inch slices. Sprinkle with salt on both sides. Place in a colander over a bowl; let stand 1 hour to drain. Discard the liquid; rinse each slice under cold running water to remove all salt and juice. Place the slices on several layers of paper towels; press out water. Lay the dry slices on a clean baking sheet; coat with olive oil spray; broil until browned, about 2 minutes. Turn; coat with olive oil spray; broil until browned, about 2 minutes more. Repeat until all the eggplant slices have been broiled; set the cooked eggplant aside.
• Place the drained yogurt in a small bowl. Add the Parmesan and eggs. Whisk together briskly with a fork; set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 400F. Assemble the moussaka: Place a layer of eggplant on the bottom of an 8 x 8-inch baking pan. Cover with half the turkey sauce. Place another eggplant layer, then the remaining turkey sauce. Add a final eggplant layer; cover with reserved yogurt mixture. Bake until the mixture is bubbling and the top starts to brown, about 30 minutes. Transfer to a heatproof surface; let sit until the moussaka cools slightly and firms, about 10 minutes. Cut into squares; serve.

SERVES 6