Eggplant parmesan is a classic Italian dish that everyone should have at least once. When done well the eggplant is tender but still has some bite. The eggplant should have a mild flavour after being salted and properly cooked. This is not the kind of recipe you are going to throw together on a Tuesday, but it is great for a sunday afternoon project.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Canadian, Italian
Keyword Casserole, eggplant, Italian Food
Prep Time 50 minutesminutes
Cook Time 30 minutesminutes
Total Time 1 hourhour20 minutesminutes
Servings 6servings
Author Chef Ben Kelly
Ingredients
1lbeggplant
2 tbspkosher saltdivided
1cupflourseasoned with 1 tsp kosher salt, 1/8 tsp black pepper
3Eggs beaten
11/2cupsbreadcrumbs
2cupsgrated mozzarella
1cupgrated parmesan
1/2cupolive oildivided
1batch marinara sauce
Instructions
Rinse the eggplant, and pat it dry. Slice it into 1/4 inch thick rounds.
Line a sheet pan with paper towel and sprinkle with 1 tbsp of kosher salt. Lay the eggplant on the salted paper towel and top with the remaining 1 tbsp of salt and another layer of paper towel. Let the eggplant sit for 30 minutes.
Rinse the eggplant under cold running water and pat dry with paper towel.
Heat oven to 375°f.
Coat the eggplant by dredging it in flour, beaten egg, then breadcrumbs. Set the breaded eggplant on a rack while you finish breading the remainder.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add in 1/4 cup of olive oil. Fry the eggplant in batches until golden brown on each side. This will take 2 to 3 minutes per side. Take the eggplant out of the pan and set it on a rack until the rest has been fried. Add the second amount of oil to the pan as needed.
Coat the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch casserole dish with a ladle full of marinara sauce. Add a layer of eggplant and top with another ladle full of sauce, 1/2 a cup of mozzarella, and a 1/4 cup of parmesan. Repeat until all the eggplant has been used. Finish with the remaining sauce and cheese.
Cover the pan with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Take the foil off the pan and bake uncovered for 5 to 10 more minutes or until the cheese is golden brown and a knife easily slides through the eggplant. Take the dish out of the oven, allow it to rest for 10 minutes, then serve with salad and garlic bread.
Notes
To speed up the process, you can skip breading process. In this case, you would salt and rinse the eggplant as the recipe says, then pat the eggplant dry and fry it as is. The finished eggplant parmesan won't have the same texture, but it will still be delicious.