Better For You (read not fried) Eggplant Parmesan

eggplant parmesan

Both Pat and I are pretty picky about eggplant. I almost never like it, neither does he. But, we got two large eggplants in a local produce box, so here's our healthier version that we both actually enjoy. And yes, it is a little time consuming, but tastes great.

First, let me say that we don't buy spaghetti sauce, we always make it and freeze what we don't eat. It's more economical, and always tastes better than most brands I've tried. That was a big part of what made this so time consuming, because we didn't have any in the freezer, so I had to make sauce.

So, the most important thing to this recipe is how thick the eggplant is cut. I always believe the thinner the better. It doesn't matter if you cut the eggplant lengthwise or into circles, if you use a knife or a mandolin, as long as the slices are thin.

Then, you lay the slices out on towels, sprinkle with salt, let them sit for about 10 minutes, flip, repeat, wait, rinse, pat dry, and you're ready to go. This pulls all the excess moisture from the eggplant, and helps to make them less bitter, but this step isn't necessary if you use small eggplants because they tend to be less bitter (because they have fewer seeds).

This is the part where many people batter and fry the eggplant, but where we veered off course. We put the eggplant into the oven (about 10 minutes per side at about 350F). Some of the eggplant burnt a little, but we used it anyway (and you couldn't taste any burnt).

I used a 9x9" glass baking dish, and layered marinara sauce, eggplant, mozzarella, parmesan and panko (in that order) until the pan was filled, and left a layer of marinara on top.

We ate this a few days later (it kept well in the fridge, but I know it also keeps well in the freezer), so we cooked this at 350F for about 25 minutes, then added a little panko to the top, set the broiler to high, and cooked for about five more minutes, until the breadcrumbs were brown.

Great to make over the weekend, and save for a week night.