Italian Style Eggplant Parmigiana

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Several of my first attempts at eggplant parmesan consisted of breading the eggplant before frying, and making it a “single layer” dish with thicker slices of eggplant. I liked that, but then I ran across the method described in this recipe where breading is not used and the dish is put together like a lasagna with layers. The eggplant is still fried, which is a time consuming process, but overall I find this a “lighter” meal that has a “fresh” taste to it, which works well as a side-dish as well as a main entrée.

The biggest challenge I have is estimating the amount of sauce to use in the lower levels so that I have enough to fully cover the top at the end to prevent the eggplant from charring too much during baking. Doubling the sauce recipe is one option, but I have found that just being lighter with the sauce on the lower levels works well. In a pinch, adding some jarred Passata to the final bit of sauce as needed is also an option depending on what’s in your pantry.

I have tried this in smaller baking dishes and using more layers, but found that I like the larger, “lasagna” pan. I do not recall any taste differences between the two, but the larger pan allows for better portion control in my opinion. This can make is a little more difficult to get the coverage you want on all layers, but I have yet to be left with not enough eggplant slices to cover a decent amount of the top layer.

Timings

Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 45 minutes
Wait: 30 minutes
Total: 1 hour, 25 minutes

Equipment Notes

  • 9×13 inch baking dish with at least 3 inch sides.
  • A 14 inch or larger pan is useful for frying more eggplant slices at the same time, but not necessary.

Ingredients

  • 1 large eggplant, (or two smaller ones), peeled
  • 1T salt (roughly)
  • 1/4C extra virgin olive oil, divided (roughly)
  • 1/2C fresh basil (roughly)
  • 8oz fresh mozzarella cheese
  • 1C parmesan cheese, thinly grated

Sauce

I use a batch of Base Marinara Sauce, which may be made in advance. For this recipe, I like to keep the sauce “rustic” without any blending.

Steps

  1. Slice the eggplant into strips about 1/8 to 1/4in thick. For a large eggplant, I will usually slice in half width-wise then lengthwise, then place on the large flat side and cut into strips. For smaller eggplants, I tend to do the same thing except not slicing in half width-wise.
  2. Salt both sides of each piece of eggplant and layer along the sides of a salad spinner basket. Let rest for 30 minutes.
  3. While the eggplant is resting, make the sauce if needed.
  4. After the eggplant has rested, forcefully press the eggplant slices into the sides of the basket then spin for about 30 seconds. Transfer the slices onto a rimmed baking sheet lined with paper towel.
  5. Add olive oil to a large pan so there is about 1/4in thick. Bring the oil to about 350°F / 177°C and place a layer of eggplant slices in it leaving a little space between them. Fry about 4 minutes or until the bottom is lightly browned. Flip and cook another 4 minutes or until the eggplant is browned on all sides (flip again as needed). Repeat until all the eggplant slices are cooked. I like to cook a few smaller slices so they are more charred as I think it adds some nice flavor, then distribute them evenly throughout the dish.
  6. Spread a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of the baking dish. Add a layer of eggplant so it covers the sauce fairly completely. Tear off and add about 1/3rd of the fresh mozzarella evenly across the eggplant. Then add a thin layer of parmesan across everything. Finally, tear off pieces of basil and sprinkle over the cheese. Repeat this layering of sauce, eggplant, mozzarella, parmesan, and basil two more times, rotating the direction of the eggplant strips 90 degrees per layer. On the very top, add a thick layer of sauce so it covers most everything.
  7. Bake in a 400°F / 204°C oven for 20 minutes.
  8. Optionally add some parmesan cheese and fresh basil on top. Let rest for at least 10 minutes before cutting and serving.

References

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