Eggplant Parmesan

I've never been a big fan of eggplant but Parker loves it.  So we bought some japanese eggplant at the farmer's market and I was willing to give it a try.  It was delicious!

Serves 6-8

  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • 1/2 tablespoon finely chopped fresh oregano leaves
  • 1/2 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 large eggs, beaten
  • 1 tablespoons water
  • 1 large or 2 - 3 small eggplants (about 1 to 1 1/2 pounds), cut into 1/2-inch-thick round slices
  • 1-2 cups bread crumbs
  • 1/4 - 1/2 cups of All-purpose flour, for dredging
  • Vegetable oil, for frying
  • Roasted Red Pepper Tomato Sauce (I used a jar from Whole Foods)
  • 1 cup low-fat Ricotta cheese
  • 1/4 pound fresh Mozzarella, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano
  • Fresh basil leaves, torn
  • Angel Hair pasta, cooked
1.  Preheat the oven up to 400 degrees F. Lightly spray the bottom and sides of a 12 by 10 by 2-inch baking dish and set aside.
2. Place the bread crumbs into a large shallow bowl. Add the herbs, 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper.
3. In another medium shallow bowl, whisk the eggs and 1 tablespoon of water together.
4. Season each eggplant slice on both sides with salt and pepper. Dredge each eggplant slice in the flour, tapping off excess, then dip it in the egg, and finally dredge it in the bread crumb mixture. Shake off any excess breading and transfer the eggplant to a baking sheet.  Repeat with the remaining eggplant.
5. Heat 1/2-inch of oil in a large straight-sided saute pan over medium heat. Working in small batches, fry the eggplant slices, turning once, until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes per batch. Using tongs, transfer to a paper towel-lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining eggplant.
6. Cover the bottom of the prepared baking dish with 1/3rd of the jar of the red pepper tomato sauce and arrange 1/2 of the eggplant over the sauce. Cover the eggplant with another 1/3rd of the sauce, grated Parmesan cheese, Romano cheese and 1/4 cup of ricotta cheese and sprinkle with some fresh basil. Repeat to make another layer ending with the sauce. Top with the fresh mozzarella and remaining Romano cheese and bake until hot and just beginning to brown, about 30-45 minutes. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.  Serve with cooked angel hair pasta.

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