I've done this before but this time more photos, less explanation.
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| Trim the ends of the eggplant |
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| I like to peel a few stripes - not necessary |
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| Slice but not too thin |
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| On paper towels sprinkle with salt |
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| Garlic |
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| Garlic diced |
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| Crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, extra virgin olive oil, onion, basil, parsley, garlic |
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| Saute the onion and garlic |
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| Add the tomato paste (mom always added the tomato paste to the hot oil) |
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| Add the crushed tomatoes and a little water to get all the paste and tomatoes from the can |
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| I use a diffuser so I won't burn the sauce |
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| That looks so GOOD |
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| Add the basil leaves and parsley |
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| A little salt - quanto basta |
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| The salt brings out some of the moisture in the eggplant |
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| Dried oregano from the garden |
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| Crushed oregano |
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| Any extra oregano goes into the spice jar |
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| I cheated and got ready made bread crumbs - Italian style |
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| Blot the eggplant with paper towels to absorb the moisture that was released |
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| Season some flour with a little salt, black pepper and oregano |
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| You may need fewer or more eggs depending on the amount of eggplant - scramble them with a fork |
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| A good helping of bread crumbs to start - you may need more |
As I no longer fry my eggplant in a frying pan with lots of oil, I bake them with much less oil, but still plenty to get them nice and brown.
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| Brush a cookie sheet with olive oil |
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| This looks weird - the olive oil is reflecting the tree and sky from the window |
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| Set the oven to 450 while you bread the eggplant |
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| Dredge the eggplant in flour, then dip into egg |
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| Then coat both sides in bread crumbs |
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| Place the slices of breaded eggplant on the cookie sheet |
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| I used two cookie sheets for this amount of eggplant |
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| My secret ingredient - spray oil on top of the eggplant before baking |
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| I set the timer for 15 minutes |
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| When the eggplant comes out of the oven, put a generous portion of freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano on each slice |
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| These are ready to eat as an "antipasto" |
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| Some nice mozzarella |
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| Put some sauce on the bottom of a baking dish |
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| Put a layer of eggplant slices and more sauce, then another layer of eggplant and more sauce - I always seem to have too little sauce |
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| Top with mozzarella |
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| And more grated Parmigiano Reggiano |
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| It's not called Parmigiano for nothing - more Parmigiano Reggiano - cover with aluminum foil and depending on the size of your baking dish and the amount of eggplant, you can adjust the time - bake for 45 minutes at 375 degrees, uncover and bake for another 10 minutes |
Surprise ending: We were so hungry I forgot to take a photo of the finished dish when it came out of the oven... but imagine the above sizzling and the cheese melted and the aroma of tomato sauce and Parmigiano.....
