Eggplant Parmesan

CALORIES PER SERVING
- Level of difficulty: Medium
- Prep time: 40 min
- Cooking time: 1 hr 40 min
- Servings: 8
- Notes
- VEGETARIAN
- PESCETARIAN
- NO ADDED SUGAR
Eggplant parmesan is one of the most popular Italian dishes. Cooked differently by region (from the north to the south) but all variations are delicious. It requires only a few ingredients yet it's packed with flavor.
INGREDIENTS
- 8 eggplants, sliced into 1/4 inch circles
- 2 cups tomato sauce
- 2 cups fresh mozzarella cheese, roughly 2 large balls
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese DOP
- 2 yellow onions, chopped
- A few fresh basil leaves
- Extra virgin olive oil (Olivaio) to fry and finish
- 1/4 cup course salt
- Salt
- Pepper
Directions
- Place eggplant slices in a colander and dust with a little bit of course salt; let them rest for at least an hour
- Cut the mozzarella into little cubes
- Heat a skillet over medium heat, add a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) and onion; cook, stirring often, for about 2 minutes or until onions are soft and slightly brown
- Add tomato sauce and a splash of water; season with salt and it let cook on a low heat for 45 minutes, adding basil leaves once finished
- In the meantime, rinse the eggplant slices and pat them dry with paper towel
- In a separate pan, heat a lot of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) to fry the eggplant; without crowding the pan, fry the eggplant for 2-3 minutes, then place them on a paper towel to drain
- Preheat oven to 400 F
- Begin layering your eggplant parmesan in a baking dish, starting with a horizontal layer; season with fresh pepper, add grated parmesan cheese and evenly distribute a layer of mozzarella; cover with tomato sauce; repeat the procedure in a vertical direction; add remaining tomato sauce on top of the last layer
- Cook your eggplant parmesan in the oven for 40 minutes