Eggplant Parmesan

Guest Recipe! Featuring my buddy John (@DrKnowItAll), this week he's bringing us his take on the vegetarian favorite, Eggplant Parmesan. Great for large groups, this recipe easily feeds 4-6 folks depending on how hungry your are!

 
 

Logistics:

  • Portion Size: 4-6

  • Prep Time: 1.5 Hours (with waiting), 30-45 Minutes of Work

  • Cook Time: 1 Hour

Ingredients:

  • 2 Large Eggplants

  • 4-6 Garlic Cloves

  • 28oz Can Diced Tomatoes

  • 2 cups Parmesan Reggiano Cheese

  • 1.5lbs Real! Mozzarella Cheese

  • .5-1 Cup Basil (as desired for the sauce and topping)

  • Olive Oil

  • Salt

  • Pepper

The Dredge:

  • Eggs

  • Italian Bread Crumbs

  • 1 Cup Parmesan Cheese

  • All Purpose Flour

Method:

  1. First thing’s first: cut the eggplant into 1/4inch slices and place on baking sheets. Coat with kosher salt on both sides and let sit for 1 hour. This draws out the moisture in the eggplant. After sitting, remove the eggplant and layer the slices in paper towels, drying them and removing some of the excess salt.

  2. Wipe out your baking trays and oil with a thin coat of olive oil. Start your oven preheating to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Now it’s time to dredge your eggplant. Three bowls: one with egg, one with flour, and one with a 1:4 mix of Italian breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese. First, dunk in the egg, shaking off any excess. Next coat in the flour, shaking off any excess. Lastly, coat in your breadcrumb mixture and, you guessed it, shake off any excess. Place the dredged slices back into your oiled baking trays. Once finished, place in the oven for about 20-25 minutes, flipping halfway through to brown both sides.

  3. While that’s cooking, let’s make a quick tomato sauce! Mince 4-6 cloves of garlic, depending on your flavor preference. In a pot, thoroughly coat with olive oil. Throw your garlic into the cold oil and bring that up to a medium heat. When the garlic is fragrant (but not brown), add in your can of diced tomatoes. If cutting up whole tomatoes, you’ll need to add a little water to get the sauce consistency you would like. Bring to a simmer and cook until your eggplant is done, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Off the heat, add as much basil as you would like. We add this at the end to preserve it’s freshness.

  4. You’re almost there! Time to assemble. There’s a little bit of technique with this to get the stacks you want. Oil a baking dish with a thin coat of olive oil and start building. Turn your oven down to 350 degrees while you’re doing this.

  5. Start with a thin layer of tomato sauce. Next, a layer of eggplant. Top each eggplant slice with a piece of mozzarella and some parmesan. Top with tomato sauce. Another layer of eggplant. Now another layer of mozzarella. Now eggplant. Finally, top with the rest of your tomato sauce and parmesan. The end result should look like a tightly filled tray of triple-stacked sandwiches.

  6. Bake it! 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.

  7. Eat up! Garnish with fresh basil and parmesan and enjoy your work.