Baked Eggplant Parmigiana

Baked Eggplant Parmigiana is rich with tangy tomato sauce, bubbling mozzarella and crunchy breadcrumbs.  This dish is a clear favorite.  Easy to prepare, and baked to perfection.  

Baked Eggplant Parmigiana

Ingredients for Sauce

2 28 oz cans of Whole Plum Tomatoes

1 onion, diced

2-3 cloves of garlic, minced

Six whole leaves of fresh Basil

2 Tbsp of olive oil

1 Tbsp of unsalted butter

1 Tbsp. of light brown sugar

2 tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. ground oregano

1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

1/4 tsp. or more red pepper flakes

Directions:

Begin your sauce.  In a large dutch oven, saute your diced onion in 2 Tbsp. of olive oil with Basil leaves over medium high heat for five minutes.  Lower your heat to medium, add 1 Tbsp. of unsalted butter, and minced garlic, stir frequently for 30 seconds.  Now, add your two cans of tomatoes and seasonings. While waiting for the sauce to come to a easy boil, crush your tomatoes in the pot with the back of a spoon or a potato masher.  Once the sauce boils, lower heat to simmer.  Keep covered and simmer for thirty minutes.  There will be leftover sauce for pasta, to serve as a side.

Ingredients for Baked Eggplant:

1 large Eggplant
Wondra flour or all-purpose flour
2 large eggs
8 oz. of smoked mozzarella or regular mozzarella, grated
1/2 cup grated Romano and/or Parmesan 
salt/ground black pepper to taste
seasoned breadcrumbs
sprinkle of oregano
few sprigs of fresh basil

Sauce, as prepared above


Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees or 350 degrees, if using convection bake.

Wash and Peel eggplant in alternating strips.  You should have three or four strips when finished, discard.  Slice eggplant crosswise.  Slices slightly bigger than 1/4 of an inch.  Prepare three bowls:  one with flour, salt and pepper and oregano added.  Bowl two:  2 beaten eggs with 1 tbsp of water and bowl three with seasoned breadcrumbs with 1/4 cup grated cheese added.  

Prepare two nine inch, pyrex pie dishes with 1/4 cup of sauce.  Dredge each eggplant slice in flour, shaking off excess.  Then dip slice in the beaten egg, letting excess egg drip off.  Finally, dredge in breadcrumbs.  Arrange slices  in a slightly overlapping pattern in each baking dish.  Add more sauce on top of each dish concentrating the sauce in the center of the slices. You can scatter some fresh basil leaves atop.  Drizzle with olive oil, and place in oven for thirty minutes.

Remove from oven, drop temperature twenty five degrees. Sprinkle the eggplant slices with mozzarella, grated cheese, oregano and black pepper.  Tent with foil, sprayed with Pam or rubbed with olive oil to prevent sticking.  Bake for an additional twenty minutes.  When removed, it should be bubbly, and the eggplant should be knife tender.  Garnish with fresh basil.

Serving Suggestions:  Steamed Lemon Broccoli with Olive Oil, Romano Cheese, grated Salt/Pepper
                                    Whole Wheat Spaghetti with Tomato Sauce and grated Cheese