(Barely modified) eggplant parmigiana

 


If you have leftovers, they're great at room temperature, e.g. for post-run picnic lunch at 9AM at Borderlands State Park.

 

Not quite authentic: for example, eggplant is baked in slices rather than fried. I make it with the tomato sauce that's always at hand in our freezer, which cuts this recipe down from "extremely daunting" to "some work, but do-able if you have a couple of hours (including baking time)".

Tips for success:
-- Don't skip the salting-the-eggplant step, we don't want to much moisture.
-- For the same reason, don't use very wet mozzarella (I had wet mozzarella when I made this, so I patted it dryer with paper towels).
-- Don't use too much mozzarella.
-- Don't use too much sauce. 
-- If you are not vegetarian, and keep fish sauce around, use it to season your tomato sauce.
--- After baking, allow the casserole to rest for at least 15 minutes, to let it reabsorb its liquids. If you skip this step, it will be watery when cut into. 

Recipe (that assumes you've already made tomato sauce) 

(I made this in two layers, in a shallow oval casserole dish whose long axis is ~12 inches and short axis is ~10 inches.)

Step 1: Prepare eggplant. Preheat oven to 400F. Cut into ~3/4 cm slices
--- eggplant (or equivalent; here, I used 4 medium Japanese eggplants sliced along the long axis)
Sprinkle with
--- salt
and allow to sit for 30-40 minutes. Then pat dry with paper towels, toss with generous amounts of
--- olive oil
and bake on cookie sheets in a pre-heated 400F oven for a total of 20-40 minutes. Check after 20 minutes and turn slices over, then check again after 10 minutes. When eggplant is done it will be soft and tender, and brown in spots. When eggplant is out taste, and salt if necessary. Leave oven on.

Step 2: Thaw 
--- tomato sauce, about 1/2-3/4 cup if it's concentrated
if frozen, and check seasoning. Season with salt/fish-sauce/sugar/pepper as desired.

Step 3: Shred 
--- mozzarella, 10-12 ounces

Step 4: Grate
--- Parmesan, about 3/4 cup grated

Step 5: Sliver
--- Basil, 4-5 leaves

Step 6: Assemble. Butter the bottom and sides of a casserole dish  Spread a thin layer of tomato sauce on the bottom, then add a layer of eggplant slices, overlapping slightly. Spread another this layer of tomato sauce over the eggplant, then dot with shreds of mozzarella, then a few slivers of basil, then a generous layer of grated parmesan. Repeat, ending with mozzarella and parmesan on top.

Step 7: Bake at 400F for around 30 minutes, or until the top is browned in spots and the entire dish is bubbling. 

Step 8: Let it rest for 15 minutes, then serve with bread or toast, and a green vegetable or a salad. 






Comments

  1. Vidhi DalalAugust 14, 2020 at 6:25 AM

    Rohini, good to see this blog. Hope you are doing well. I remember your apple pie and pasta to this day. Hope to see more wonderful vegetarian recipes 😊

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Rohini RamadasAugust 15, 2020 at 1:13 PM

      Thank you! :-) Yes, I'm trying to post many vegetarian recipes. I hope you're well!

      Delete

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