Eggplant Parmesan

• doses: 6 servings
• tempo ativo: 15 minutes
• tempo total: 2 hours 45 minutes

Ingredientes

5 cloves garlic (sliced)

2 28 ounce cans plum tomatoes (hand crushed or blender pulsed)

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/4 teaspoon crushed hot red pepper flakes

salt (to taste)

3 basil leaves

2 cups olive oil (or enough to fill up pan at least 1/2-inch high)

3 large eggplant (sliced into rounds 1/4-inch thick or less, salted for 1 plus hours - see notes below)

1 cup flour (for dredging only)

10 large eggs (plus more if needed)

1 cup Pecorino Romano (grated)

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 cup Italian flat-leaf parsley (minced)

5 cups marinara sauce (from recipe above, you will have leftover sauce!)

1/2 cup Parmigiano Reggiano (grated)

1 pound mozzarella (shredded)

1/4 cup packed basil leaves (hand torn)

Instruções

Salt the eggplant

Salt the eggplant slices then place in a colander to drain with a plate beneath. Also, place a plate on top of the eggplant and a weight (canned tomatoes work well) to aid in water removal. After a minimum of 1 hour, rinse or wipe the pieces with a damp towel to remove most of the excess salt. Pat the pieces dry. They are now ready for frying.

Make the marinara sauce

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan to medium-low and add the garlic.

Once the garlic turns golden (about 2-3 minutes) add the red pepper flakes and cook for 30 seconds more. Add the tomatoes and bring the sauce to a simmer, stirring occasionally.

Season the sauce with salt to taste and add the basil leaves. After 15 minutes of simmering, set the sauce aside covered to keep warm, or keep it cooking over very low heat.

Fry the eggplant

Heat a 1/2 inch of olive oil in a large heavy pan to 360-370f.

In a large bowl mix together the eggs, Pecorino, black pepper, and parsley.

Pat the eggplant pieces dry then dredge in flour and shake off the excess. Place the eggplant into the egg mixture then let it drain for a few seconds on the side of the bowl before gently adding to the hot oil.

Fry the eggplant until golden (about 3-4 minutes per side) then place on a paper towel lined plate or baking sheet to drain. Blot the eggplant with paper towels to remove excess oil. Work in batches until finished.

Assemble and bake

Preheat oven to 400f and set the rack to the middle level.

Note: You will need roughly 5 cups of sauce. You might have a bit of extra sauce left over. Place a thick layer of marinara sauce into a 9x13" baking dish then add 1 layer of eggplant. Dividing roughly equally between the layers, add more sauce, torn basil leaves, shredded mozzarella, and grated Parmigiano Reggiano. Repeat in layers to the top of the baking dish.

Bake for 30 minutes at 400f in the middle of the oven. For a browner top, broil for the last 2 minutes. Check at all times so it doesn't burn.

Let the eggplant parmesan rest for at least 20 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Informação Nutricional

• Calorias: 573 kcal
• Gordura Total: 44.2 g
• Gordura Saturada: 13.7 g
• Colesterol: 176 mg
• Sódio: 528 mg
• Carboidratos Totais: 25.1 g
• Fibra Alimentar: 7.8 g
• Proteína: 24.5 g