Eggplant Parmigiana

Name: Eggplant Parmigiana
Ingredients: 2½ cups Marinara Sauce or other plain tomato sauce; 2 medium eggplants (about 1 pound each); Salt; Olive oil or vegetable oil for frying; 8 ounces fresh mozzarella , sliced; ½ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino Romano

Chef

Michele Scicolone

View

Cookbook

1,000 Italian Recipes

Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

View

This image courtesy of Joseph DeLeo

This is one of those dishes I never tire of. If you prefer not to fry the eggplant, try making this with grilled or baked slices.

Cooking Methodbaking, pan-frying

CostInexpensive

Total Timeunder 2 hours

OccasionBuffet, Casual Dinner Party, Family Get-together

Recipe Coursemain course

Dietary Considerationegg-free, gluten-free, low carb, peanut free, tree nut free, vegetarian

Equipmentbaking/gratin dish

Five Ingredients or LessYes

Mealdinner

Taste and Texturecheesy, savory

Type of Dishvegetable

Ingredients

2½ cups Marinara Sauce or other plain tomato sauce
2 medium eggplants (about 1 pound each)
Salt
Olive oil or vegetable oil for frying
8 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced
½ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino Romano

Instructions

Prepare the sauce, if necessary. Then, trim the tops and bottoms off the eggplants. Cut the eggplants crosswise into ½-inch-thick slices. Arrange the slices in a colander, sprinkling each layer with salt. Place the colander over a plate to drain for at least 30 minutes. Rinse off the salt with cool water and dry the slices with paper towels.
Line a tray with paper towels. Heat about ½ inch of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat until a small piece of eggplant sizzles when added to the pan. Add just enough of the eggplant slices to fit in a single layer without crowding. Fry until golden brown on one side, about 3 minutes, then turn them over and brown on the other side, about 2 to 3 minutes more. Drain the slices on the paper towels. Cook the remaining eggplant slices in the same way.
Place a rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spread a thin layer of tomato sauce in a 13 × 9 × 2–inch baking dish. Make a layer of eggplant slices, overlapping them slightly. Top with a layer of mozzarella, another layer of sauce, and a sprinkle of grated cheese. Repeat the layering, ending with eggplant, sauce, and grated cheese.
Bake for 45 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbling. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.