25 weeks and baby is the size of an eggplant! We can’t believe it. But Jane loves eggplant parmesan. So, guess what? Here we go-I’m making eggplant parm this week. A homemade marinara sauce makes the best base for this meal. Short on time? Use a jar of marinara. Nobody will know but you. I also have both ways of preparing the eggplant written below. Frying the coated slices in a pan makes for a delicious crispy coating. Does a lower calorie option sound more interesting to you? Oven baked is a delicious alternative and makes less of a mess. Enjoy!
Ingredients
Marinara Sauce
¼ cup olive oil
1 head of garlic cloves, crushed
1 large red onion, chopped
3 oil packed anchovy filets
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 TBSP tomato paste
1/4 cup dry white wine
4 28 oz cans whole peeled tomatoes
¼ cup torn basil leaves
½ tsp dried oregano
Kosher salt
Eggplant
4 pounds eggplants(about 4 medium) peeled and sliced lengthwise ½-¾ inch thick
Kosher salt
3 cups panko breadcrumbs
1 ½ tsp dried oregano
1 tsp pepper
1 ½ cups grated parmesan, divided
1 ½ cups flour
7 large eggs, beaten to blend
1 ⅓ cups olive oil(if frying eggplant instead of baking)
½ cups finely chopped basil and parsley
16 oz low moisture mozzarella grated
8 oz fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
Marinara Sauce:
Preheat the oven to 350°. Place a Dutch oven or other large heavy ovenproof pot over medium heat. Add oil and garlic and cook, stirring often, until garlic is golden, about 4 minutes. Add onion, anchovies (if using), and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring often, until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and cook, stirring often, until slightly darkened, about 2 minutes. Add wine, bring to a boil, and cook until almost completely evaporated, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes, breaking up with your hands, and their juices; add basil and oregano and stir to combine. Swirl 1 1⁄2 cups of water into one tomato can, then the other, to rinse, and add to the pot; season with salt. Transfer pot to oven; roast sauce, stirring halfway through, until thick and tomatoes are browned on top and around edges of pot, 2–2 1⁄2 hours.
Let the sauce cool slightly. Pass through the large holes of a food mill or process in a food processor until mostly smooth. Taste and season with salt.
Do Ahead: Sauce can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and chill.
Eggplant and Assembly
Lightly season eggplant slices all over with salt; place in a single layer on several layers of paper towels inside a rimmed baking sheet. Top with another layer of paper towels and more slices; repeat as needed. Top with a final layer of paper towels, then another rimmed baking sheet; weigh down with a heavy pot. Let eggplant sit until it has released excess liquid, 45–60 minutes. This step gives the eggplant a creamy texture when baked.
Meanwhile, pulse panko, oregano, pepper, and ¾ cup Parmesan in a food processor until very finely ground. Transfer to a shallow bowl.
Preheat the oven to 350°. Place flour in another shallow bowl and eggs in a third shallow bowl. Working one at a time, dredge eggplant slices in flour, then dip in egg, allowing excess to drip off. Coat in breadcrumbs, packing all around, then shaking off excess. Place on wire racks.
*You can either oven bake these slices or fry in a pan*
Oven Bake: Liberally spray the eggplant slices with olive oil. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Flip it over and spray the other side. Bake for an additional 15 minutes or until nicely browned.
Pan fry: Heat ⅔ cup oil in a large skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium-high. Cook as many eggplant slices as will comfortably fit in the pan, turning once, until deep golden, about 5 minutes. Transfer to paper towels and immediately press with more paper towels to absorb oil. Working in batches, repeat with remaining eggplant, adding remaining ⅔ cup oil and wiping out the skillet as needed. Let cool. Taste and season with more salt if needed.
Toss chopped herbs, low-moisture mozzarella, and remaining ¾ cup Parmesan in a medium bowl. Spread 1 cup sauce over the bottom of a 13×9″ baking pan; top with a layer of eggplant slices (trim as needed). Drizzle 1 cup sauce over and sprinkle with one-third of the cheese mixture. Add another layer of eggplant, followed by 1 cup sauce and half of the remaining cheese mixture. Repeat layers with remaining slices, sauce, and cheese mixture. Cover with foil and bake on a rimmed baking sheet until eggplant is custardy, 45–60 minutes.
Remove from the oven and arrange fresh mozzarella over eggplant. Increase oven temperature to 425° and bake, uncovered, until cheese is bubbling and browned in spots, 15–20 minutes longer. Let rest for 30 minutes. Top with torn fresh basil leaves just before slicing.
Do Ahead: Eggplant Parmesan can be made 2 days ahead. Let cool; cover with foil and chill. Reheat in a 350° oven, uncovering halfway through, until bubbling gently at edges.
