Eggplant Parmesan - Everyday Annie

Eggplant is one of those vegetables that I have supposedly disliked for a long time, though to be honest, I don’t think I’d ever really tried it. In college one of my friends ordered eggplant Parmesan at dinner and I tried a bite, and it was good. I filed that away, but didn’t really have it again until this year. I’ve been going out to a lot of work-related lunches at a restaurant with an eggplant Parmesan panini on the menu. I ordered it once, and now I get it every single time. It’s phenomenal! I don’t know where my mental dislike of eggplant came from, but I’m glad it’s over now. I decided to try a classic eggplant parmesan recipe to truly appreciate it. Of course it’s delicious – anything breaded and covered with sauce and cheese is bound to be awesome!

This meal definitely takes some time to prepare, so it’s not really suitable for a weeknight unless you want to eat late. It’s really fun to make though. I automatically like any recipe where you work to get excess liquid out of vegetables (like tzatziki sauce or shredded zucchini). We loved this so much, it’s right up there with our beloved chicken Parmesan and we actually can’t decide which we like better. My only change was to cut the original recipe in half (halved version below), but between the three of us there were no leftovers! I did notice that I was a bit short on the breading and had a few leftover slices of eggplant, so I have altered the recipe below to correct this problem. I know I’ll definitely be making this again and again, and I can’t wait to make it into a panini next.

Yield about 4-6 servings

Ingredients

For the eggplant:
1 lb. globe eggplant, cut crosswise into ¼-inch thick rounds
1½ tsp. kosher salt
6 oz. high-quality white bread, torn into chunks
1½ oz. freshly grated Parmesan cheese, about ¾ cup
Pinch of salt
1 tsp. pepper, divided
¾ cup all-purpose flour
3 large eggs
3 tbsp. vegetable oil

For the tomato sauce:
1½ (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes
1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
¼ tsp. red pepper flakes
¼ cup fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped
Salt and ground black pepper

4 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese (about 1 cup)
½ oz. freshly grated Parmesan cheese (about ¼ cup)
Fresh basil leaves, torn, for garnish

Directions

01
To prepare the eggplant, toss the eggplant slices with the kosher salt in a large bowl until combined. Transfer the salted eggplant to a colander and set the colander over the now empty bowl. Let stand until the eggplant releases at least 1 tablespoon liquid, 30-45 minutes. Spread the eggplant slices on a triple thickness of paper towels (or layers of clean kitchen towels); cover with another triple thickness of paper towels. Press firmly on each slice to remove as much liquid as possible. Wipe off any excess salt.
02
While the eggplant is draining, place a rimmed baking sheet in the oven and preheat to 425˚ F. Pulse the bread in a food processor to fine crumbs (about 15 1-second pulses). You should have about 3 cups. Transfer the crumbs to a pie plate and mix in the cheese, salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper; set aside. Wipe out the bowl of the food processor.
03
Combine the flour and ¾ teaspoon pepper in a large zipper lock plastic bag; shake to combine. Beat the eggs in a second pie plate. Place about half of the eggplant slices in the bag with the flour; seal and shake to coat. Remove the slices, shaking off the excess flour. Dip in the eggs, letting the excess run off. Coat evenly with the bread crumb mixture. Set the breaded slices on a wire rack. Repeat with the remaining eggplant until all the slices are breaded.
04
Remove the preheated baking sheet from the oven. Add the vegetable oil to the sheet and tilt to coat evenly. Place the breaded eggplant slices on the baking sheet in a single layer. Bake until the eggplant is well browned and crisp, about 30 minutes, rotating the baking sheet after 10 minutes and flipping the slices after 20 minutes. Do not turn off the oven after the slices are baked.
05
While the eggplant is baking, prepare the tomato sauce. Process about half of the diced tomatoes in the food processor until almost smooth, about 5 seconds. Heat the olive oil, garlic and red pepper flakes in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and the garlic is light golden, about 3 minutes. Stir in the processed tomatoes and the remaining diced tomatoes. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened at reduced, about 15 minutes. Stir in the basil and season with salt and pepper to taste.
06
To assemble the dish, spread ½ cup of the sauce in the bottom of a 2-quart casserole dish. Layer in half of the eggplant slices, overlapping the slices to fit. Spread with another ½ cup of the sauce. Sprinkle with half of the mozzarella. Layer in the remaining eggplant and dot with the remaining sauce, leaving the majority of the eggplant exposed so it will remain crisp. Sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese and the remaining mozzarella. Bake until bubbling and the cheese is browned, 13-15 minutes. Cool 10 minutes, scatter the basil over the top, and serve.

Source

adapted from The New Best Recipe from the Editors of Cook’s Illustrated