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In no way authentic, this eggplant Parmesan recipe is my version of the Italian classic. Breaded slices of eggplant baked in a beautiful marinara sauce with lots of warm melted cheese sounds blissful. To go with it is a simple pasta salad loaded with zesty goodness. Eggplants have a natural bitterness to them that can be reduced by allowing them to sweat before breading. The breaded eggplant is baked till crisp after which this dish is assembled. Try this out the next time you crave a homemade Italian meal and let me know how it turns out.
Serves: 6 to 8 | Prep. time: 30 minutes | Cook time: 45 minutes
Ingredients:
For eggplant Parmesan:
1 large eggplant
1 cup bread crumbs
2 tsp. mixed Italian herbs
salt
ground black pepper
1/3 cup of milk
olive oil
2 cups marinara sauce (see recipe here)
1/2 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
fresh parsley or basil for garnish
For zesty pasta salad:
3 cups of cooked pasta (drained and cooled to room temperature)
3 tbsp. finely chopped white onion
zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp. red wine vinegar
1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
1/3 cup chopped cucumber
2-3 tbsp. sliced pitted olives
salt
ground black pepper
1/2 tsp mixed Italian herbs
fresh parsley leaves
Directions:
Slice the eggplant to achieve 0.3 inch thick slices. Lay slices flat on kitchen towels in a single layer and sprinkle generously with salt. Turn them and sprinkle with salt once again. Let them rest for 10 minutes. Droplets of water will appear on the surface of the eggplant slices. After 10 minutes, wipe the slices with a kitchen towel and set aside.
While eggplant slices are sweating, prepare the breading mix. In a large plate, add the bread crumbs, 2 tsp. mixed Italian herbs, 1/4 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper and mix well. Spread out evenly on plate. In a shallow bowl, add the milk.
Pre-heat oven to 375F.
Set up a work station. Place the eggplant slices, bowl of milk, plate of bread crumbs and 2 large baking trays on your kitchen counter/table. Grease baking trays with olive oil.
Take a slice of eggplant, dip it in the milk till fully submerged, then place the slice in the breading mix and cover both sides with seasoned bread crumbs. Place breaded slice on the baking tray. Repeat for all slices and arrange them in a single layer on the baking tray. NOTE: I use milk for this process but a whisked egg will also work.
Bake eggplant slices in pre-heated oven for 10 minutes, flip and bake for another 10 minutes. Remove trays from oven. Leave oven on for step 8.
In a 9"x13" baking dish, add 3/4 cup of marinara sauce and spread evenly. Arrange one layer of eggplant slices. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup Mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Arrange remaining eggplant slices over the cheese. Evenly spread remaining marinara sauce over the eggplant. Sprinkle remaining cheese over the sauce.
Bake at 375F for 20 minutes.
While this bakes, prepare pasta salad.
In a small bowl, add the chopped onions, lemon zest, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, extra virgin olive oil,1/2 tsp. salt and1/2 tsp. ground black pepper. Whisk and set aside for 10 minutes.
In a large mixing bowl, add the remining ingredients for the pasta salad. I used Farfalle or bow-tie pasta but any medium sized pasta will work. You can add other vegetables like blanched or raw broccoli, zucchini, carrots to the salad if you want.
After 10 minutes, add the soaked onions with all the liquid. Mix well. Taste and add more salt or pepper if needed.
After eggplant Parmesan is cooked, remove from oven and let it sit for 10 minutes.
Garnish with basil or parsley leaves and serve hot.
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