I’m not going to lie – this recipe had me cursing at first because there is a lot of prep work to do. It easily took a few hours to get organized before I was popping this baby into the oven. BUT – it is the best Eggplant Parmesan I’ve ever eaten in my life. So in my opinion – definitely worth it. Thanks to my friend Andrea for finding this gem at Simply Recipes – and for passing it my way. Enjoy.
Ingredients:
2 large eggplants
salt
1 T. olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 28oz can of diced tomatoes with Italian herbs
1/2 c. fresh basil, chopped or 1 T. dried basil
salt and pepper
3 c. breadcrumbs
2 c. parmesan cheese, shredded and divided
2 c. flour
6 eggs, beaten
olive oil
1 1/2 lb. mozzarella, grated
Slice the eggplants into 1/2 ” thick rounds, lay on wire racks over rimmed baking sheets and sprinkle lightly with salt on both sides. (I peeled my eggplant prior to slicing but you don’t have to) Allow them 2 hours to sit and release moisture.
Once 2 hours has passed, place eggplant slices onto a dry tea towel and lightly press another over top to dry up excess moisture. Preheat oven to 425F.
Combine breadcrumbs with 1/2 c. parmesan cheese and place in a shallow bowl. Place flour in a bowl and beaten eggs in another bowl and place on counter top in this order: flour, eggs and breadcrumbs.
Spray baking sheets to grease. One at a time, dredge eggplant slices in flour, egg and then cover in breadcrumb mixture before placing on prepared baking sheet. Then brush a dab of olive oil over top of each slice. Bake for 20 minutes, turning them over at the half-way point. Then remove from oven and allow to cool.
While eggplant cools, heat 1 T. olive oil in a medium-sized saucepan and add garlic, cooking for about 1 minute. Add tomatoes and juices and bring to a simmer. Then lower heat and continue simmering for another 15 minutes uncovered. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add basil and remove from heat.
In order to assemble the casserole, spread about 1/2 c. of sauce on the bottom of a lasagna pan. Then place 1/3 of the eggplant rounds over top of the sauce. Place 1/2 the grated mozzarella over top of the rounds. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the grated parmesan cheese.
Spread another 1/3 of eggplant rounds on top, cover with 1 c. sauce and the remaining mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle with 1/3 of parmesan.
Cover with remaining eggplant rounds, top with remaining sauce and the rest of the parmesan cheese.
Bake uncovered for 35 minutes – then let cool for 10 minutes before slicing and serving. Delicious!