I can’t think of a better way to begin the cool weather season than with this dreamy Classic Eggplant Parmesan.

It wasn’t long ago that I could hardly boil water.  I’m not kidding.  Years ago, anything I cooked could have caused a slow and painful death. That might be a tiny bit dramatic, but truly, it isn’t far from the truth.

Back in the day, my signature meal was a sausage quiche I learned to make while living in Louisiana, along with fried chicken, biscuits, turkey kielbasa and sauerkraut and a few meals on the grill.  That was it. My culinary repertoire.

On occasion I would branch out and follow a recipe just to make something different, but even then my culinary skills were terribly limited.

This is why I originally enrolled in culinary school almost 17 years ago – and as they say the rest is history. 

Of course, it didn’t help that I lived next door to the most incredible Italian home cook.  The most glorious scent’s used to drift from my neighbors kitchen right into my open windows.  Usually while I too was trying to prepare a decent meal.  All I could think of was, I’d rather be eating at my neighbor’s house tonight.   Knowing how much I loved her cooking, my sweet neighbor would always bring me a sample.

Daniella’s eggplant parmesan was my favorite dish she made, although everything she cooked was delicious.

Her eggplant parmesan was filled with olive oil fried eggplant, layered among shredded mozzarella and homemade sauce.  A little bit of work but so worth every ounce of effort.

I’ve made Daniella’s eggplant parmesan for years now. Sometimes I’ll layer in a bit of herbed ricotta in the dish and I adore using whole milk mozzarella or buffalo mozzarella.  You can make your own sauce or use your favorite.

I like to make this in individual serving dishes but family style works just as well.  Serve with your favorite tossed green salad or THIS salad or THIS salad and I also love THIS salad, and some crusty Italian bread.

However you like to prepare this Classic Eggplant Parmesan, it will be a huge hit at your kitchen table.

Peace and Love,

Karista

Classic Eggplant Parmesan

January 4, 2016

by Karista

Category Karista's Kitchen Kid Friendly Main Dish vegetarian

This is probably one of the most quintessential Italian dishes. Lush and rich in flavor as well as texture, this dish can stand on it’s own or be served as a lovely side dish.
Photos originally published in 2015 Dec/Jan Issue of Home By Design Magazine by Karista Bennett

Serving Size

4-6

1 2 3 4 5

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Ingredients

• 1-2 large eggplants, peeled and sliced about ¼ inch thick rounds or sliced lengthwise
• Sea or Kosher salt
• 2 cups Whole milk mozzarella, shredded or sliced
• 1 cup Romano or Parmesan cheese, shredded
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• 2 eggs whisked with 1 tablespoon water
• 1 cup bread crumbs
• 1 cup avocado oil
• ½ cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
• ½ cup grated parmesan for garnish
• 3 cups of your favorite tomato sauce

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350F.
2. Salt the eggplant slices and let them sit in a colander in a large bowl for about 20-30 minutes to drain the excess liquid from the eggplant. Rinse the eggplant slices and pat dry with a paper towel.
3. Using a large skillet or frying pan, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Dust the eggplant slices with the flour, shaking off the extra flour. Then dip them in the egg wash and then in the breadcrumbs.
4. Place them in the hot oil and pan-fry the eggplant slices just until golden brown. Place the eggplant slices on a paper towel lined cookie sheet to absorb the excess oil. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper.
5. Once the eggplant slices have been browned, place ¼ cup of tomato sauce into the bottom of an 8x8 baking dish, or if using 2 eggplants, a 10x15x2 rectangular baking dish. You can also prepare this recipe in individual baking dishes.
6. Layer slices of eggplant over the tomato sauce and then top with a little more sauce and a layer of mozzarella and Romano and a little chopped fresh basil. Continue layering the eggplant, sauce, cheese and basil. I usually end up with 3-4 layers.
7. Cover with foil and bake for about 15-20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes.
8. Remove the eggplant from the oven and let it rest for about 10 minutes before serving. Slice into squares and serve with additional sauce and parmesan cheese.

Tags

comfort food,

easy eggplant parmesan,

eggplant,

eggplant parmesan,

Italian comfort food,

Italian recipes,

Karista's Kitchen,

mozzarella cheese,

vegetarian recipes

https://karistabennett.com/2016/01/04/classic-eggplant-parmesan/