Cathy’s Eggplant Parmesan

This dish is really one of my all time favorites. One of the things that can go wrong with eggplant dishes is that it can be undercooked. In this recipe, you dip in an egg mixture and breadcrumb mixture and almost deep fry the sliced eggplant. Then assemble the casserole, layers with cheese and tomato sauce. It comes out to be a beautiful, melty but light dish. If you’re growing eggplant, tomatoes, herbs, it’s a perfect “from the garden” dish as well.

• 2 medium sized globe eggplants, or the equivalent
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup milk
• Olive oil, enough to make about a 1/3 to 1/2 inch layer in a heavy pan or cast iron skillet
• About 8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese (and/or fresh mozzarella broken into bits)
• About 8 ounces marinara sauce
• Handful of fresh basil and oregano
• About 1/2 cup of shredded parmesan cheese
• Salt and pepper

1. Cut the eggplant into slices about 1/2 inch thick lengthwise
2. In a flat container, whisk the eggs with the milk
3. In another flat container, mix the flour, breadcrumbs and salt/pepper
4. In batches, coat the eggplant slices in the egg/milk mixture and then the flour mixture.
5. When the oil is hot (but not smoking) in the pan (test with a drop of water), lay the eggplant in the pan – do not crowd or overlap the pieces. Watch carefully to make sure the eggplant doesn’t cook too fast. You should get a nice golden brown crust with a soft inside. When cooked at the right temperature, the eggplant doesn’t absorb as much oil. Set cooked eggplant aside on a paper towel and cook the rest of the eggplant.
6. Once the eggplant is finished, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
7. In a casserole dish, where you’ll layer the eggplant in no more than 2 to 3 layers, start by spraying the pan, then layer a small amount of marinara sauce on the bottom.
8. Make one layer of eggplant, then top with a sauce, shredded mozzarella cheese and some chopped herbs.
9. Continue layering until you’ve used all the eggplant. Add a layer of sauce on the top, herbs, mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese.
10. Place in the oven uncovered and bake until the cheese is melted and slightly brown and the sauce is bubbling.

OMG – enjoy this! Yes, you can try to make it more “healthy” by baking the eggplant and using low fat cheese, but it’s the frying the eggplant beforehand and using a good amount of yummy cheese that makes this dish.