Eggplant Parmesan
Eggplant Parmesan is a tasty and popular dish found on menus everywhere. Making your own Eggplant Parmesan involves several steps, but it is so worth the effort! Use whole-wheat panko in this Italian recipe; the regular type became soggy in a test.
Ingredients:
- Eggplant
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 tblspn water
- 2 cups whole-wheat panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
- 1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
- 2 (1-pound) eggplants, peeled and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices
- Cooking spray
Filling:
- 1/2 cup torn fresh basil
- 1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
- 1/2 tspn crushed red pepper
- 1 1/2 tspns minced garlic
- 1/4 tspn salt
- 1 (16-ounce) container part-skim ricotta cheese
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
Remaining Ingredients:
- 1 (24-ounce) jar premium pasta sauce
- 1/4 tspn salt
- 8 ounces thinly sliced mozzarella cheese
- 3/4 cup (3 ounces) finely grated fontina cheese
Instructions
Here are your instructions:
Preheat oven to 375°.
To make eggplant, combine 2 eggs and 1 tablespoon water in a shallow dish. Combine panko and 1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano in a second shallow dish. Dip eggplant in egg mixture; dredge in panko mixture, pressing gently to adhere and shaking off excess. Place eggplant 1 inch apart on baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 30 minutes or until golden, turning once and rotating baking sheets after 15 minutes.
To make filling, combine basil and next 6 ingredients (through egg).
To assemble, spoon 1/2 cup pasta sauce in bottom of a 13 x 9-inch glass baking dish coated with cooking spray. Layer half of eggplant slices over pasta sauce. Sprinkle eggplant with 1/8 teaspoon salt. Top with about 3/4 cup pasta sauce; spread half of ricotta mixture over sauce, and top with a third of mozzarella and 1/4 cup fontina. Repeat layers once, ending with about 1 cup pasta sauce. Cover tightly with aluminum foil coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 35 minutes. Remove foil; top with remaining third of mozzarella and 1/4 cup fontina. Bake at 375° for 10 minutes or until sauce is bubbly and cheese melts; cool 10 minutes.