Baked Eggplant Parmesan
Eggplant is hearty enough to replace chicken or veal for a satisfying meatless meal. Dredging and panfrying the eggplant slices adds crunch and flavor, and covering them with tomato sauce made with a generous quantity of red pepper flakes imparts a bit of heat. Serve with a big green salad.
Ingredients:
For the spicy tomato sauce:
- 2 Tbs. olive oil
- 4 large garlic cloves, chopped
- 4 cans (28 oz./875 g each) diced tomatoes, drained
- 1 tsp. red pepper flakes
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 Tbs. olive oil, plus more for the dish- 1 egg, beaten with 1 Tbs. water
- 1/2 cup (2 oz./60 g) dried bread crumbs
- 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
- 2 Tbs. grated Parmesan cheese
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 2 small eggplants, about 1 1/2 lb. (750 g) total, each cut crosswise into 8 slices
- 1 cup (4 oz./125 g) shredded mozzarella cheese
Directions:
To make the spicy tomato sauce, in a large saucepan over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and red pepper flakes, raise the heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, until the sauce is thick, about 40 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Let cool slightly. Measure out 2 cups (16 fl. oz./500 ml) of the sauce and set aside. Save the remaining sauce for another use.
Preheat an oven to 400°F (200°C). Lightly oil a 9-by-13-inch (23-by-33 cm) baking dish.
Put the egg mixture in a wide, shallow dish. Put the bread crumbs in another dish and stir in the oregano, Parmesan, 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/8 tsp. pepper.
In a large fry pan over medium-high heat, warm 1 Tbs. of the olive oil. Working with 4 eggplant slices at a time, dip each slice in the egg mixture, letting the excess drip back into the bowl. Coat both sides with the bread crumbs and cook, turning once, until browned, about 6 minutes. Repeat with the remaining 1 Tbs. olive oil and the remaining eggplant. Transfer to a plate.
Spoon one-third of the reserved sauce over the bottom of the prepared dish. Arrange half of the eggplant slices in a single layer on the sauce. Spoon one-third of the sauce onto the slices and sprinkle with half of the mozzarella. Top with the remaining eggplant slices and cover with the remaining sauce and mozzarella.
Bake until the eggplant is tender and the cheese is lightly browned and melted, about 15 minutes. Divide among plates and serve. Serves 4.
Adapted from Williams-Sonoma One Pot of the Day, by Kate McMillan (Weldon Owen, 2012)
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