Last night, I made eggplant Parmesan for dinner. I hadn’t had it in a while and I decided to make the classic version. It was fantastic!
If you can, take the time to sprinkle the eggplant slices with salt and let them sit about an hour before you start cooking. That step will make the eggplant less bitter and pull out some of the moisture. You can work on the sauce while the eggplant is resting. After an hour has passed, rinse the eggplant and dry them with a kitchen towel. You will be really happy with the results taking the time to do this step.
I like to make my own sauce, but feel free to use your favorite jarred sauce. If I use a store bought sauce, I still doctor it up with some additional seasoning.
I hope you’ll try my eggplant parmesan and let me know what you think.
Classic Eggplant Parmesan Start with the sauce. Crush the tomatoes in a large mixing bowl with your hands Pour 1 cup water in the cans to get the rest of the tomato juice. Reserve Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat When the oil is hot, add the garlic - don't let it burn After about a minute, add the tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato water, red pepper flakes, oregano, and Kosher salt Simmer the sauce until thickened Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed Prep the eggplant. Slice into 1/2 discs, put on a sheet tray and sprinkle salt on both sides. Let it sit about an hour After an hour, rinse off the salt and dry the eggplant thoroughly with a kitchen towel Heat the oil in a large cast iron skillet to 350 degrees (use a candy thermometer to make sure the oil maintains 350 degrees) Put the flour in a pie tin or baking dish and season with freshly ground pepper and kosher salt Put the beaten eggs in a pie tin In a third pie tin or baking dish, mix the Italian bread crumbs, thyme, oregano, salt and pepper Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees Get a sheet pan lined with paper towels or a wire rack to drain the eggplant Dip the eggplant slices in the flour and shake off any excess flour Dip the eggplant slices in the eggs Dip the eggplant slices in the Italian Breadcrumb mixture and coat thoroughly Carefully put the coated eggplant slices in the frying pan, working in batches When the eggplant is golden brown, remove to the lined tray Once it is all cooked, start assembling in a 13x9 baking dish Put down enough of the sauce in the baking dish to coat the bottom Add a layer of the eggplant, top with some mozzarella, some Parmesan, some of the basil leaves, and some sauce Continue layering until you used up all the eggplant. Make sure the top has a nice layer of cheese Bake for 35-40 minutes until the cheese is golden brown I like to put it under the broiler for a few minutes to make sure the cheese gets browned and delicious Let it rest about 10 minutes and serveClassic Eggplant Parmesan
(No Ratings Yet)
Loading...Ingredients
Instructions
