Best Real Deal Eggplant Parmesan Recipes

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GRANDMA'S ITALIAN EGGPLANT PARMIGIANA



Grandma's Italian Eggplant Parmigiana image

This heirloom Italian family recipe came stateside with my grandmother when she immigrated from Italy. Growing up in a house that had Italian sauce being made every Sunday, this eggplant was always a favorite. Using good quality ingredients is critical for this recipe. It is very time consuming and laborious. It would be a shame to invest all of this time and effort with inferior ingredients only to be let down when you eat it later.

Provided by Daddy's Kitchen

Categories     World Cuisine Recipes     European     Italian

Time 9h35m

Yield 12

Number Of Ingredients 11

2 medium Italian eggplants, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch slices
2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
3 tablespoons sea salt, or to taste
1 tablespoon ground black pepper, or to taste
5 eggs, room temperature
3 tablespoons water, room temperature
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, or as needed
2 cups freshly grated Pecorino-Romano cheese, divided
40 ounces Italian-style tomato sauce
2 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese
30 ounces freshly grated mozzarella cheese

Steps:

  • Lay eggplant slices on top of paper towels and sprinkle with sea salt to draw out moisture. Cover with additional paper towels. Let sit, 8 hours to overnight.
  • Place flour into a 1-gallon plastic zip-top bag. Sprinkle salt and pepper into the flour and shake the bag to mix. Place 6 eggplant slices into the bag, seal, and shake to coat.
  • Beat eggs and water together using a fork in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
  • Heat 2 inches of oil over medium-high heat in a 10-inch cast iron skillet. Line baking sheets with paper towels to drain eggplants after frying.
  • Shake excess flour from eggplant slices and place into egg mixture, turning to ensure both sides are coated. Allow excess egg mixture to drip off before placing slices into the hot oil. Fry until slightly golden, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to the paper towel-lined baking sheets. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon Pecorino Romano cheese. Repeat process until all eggplant slices are fried. Let cool slightly, about 5 minutes.
  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
  • Pour a small amount of tomato sauce into the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking pan to cover. Place 1/3 of the eggplant slices over sauce, slightly overlapping them. Sprinkle 1/3 of the remaining Pecorino-Romano cheese and Parmesan cheese evenly over the slices. Cover with a light layer of sauce. Sprinkle 1/3 of the mozzarella cheese over sauce. Repeat for a total of 3 layers.
  • Bake in the preheated oven until bubbly, about 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes to set.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 568.9 calories, Carbohydrate 33.1 g, Cholesterol 145.9 mg, Fat 32.7 g, Fiber 5.3 g, Protein 35.6 g, SaturatedFat 14.8 g, Sodium 2463.2 mg, Sugar 7.9 g

EGGPLANT PARMESAN



Eggplant Parmesan image

Provided by Food Network Kitchen

Categories     main-dish

Time 2h15m

Yield about 4 to 6 main course servi

Number Of Ingredients 22

2 medium eggplant (about 2 1/4 pounds), cut into 1/2-inch-thick round slices
Kosher salt, as needed, plus 1 tablespoon
5 cups fresh breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme
Freshly ground black pepper
Vegetable oil for frying
All-purpose flour for dredging
6 large eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons whole milk
Olive oil, as needed
7 cups QUICK MARINARA SAUCE, recipe follows
2/3 cup grated Parmesan, divided
1 pound fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 medium onion, diced (about 1/3 cup)
5 cloves garlic, chopped
7 cups whole, peeled, canned tomatoes in puree (about two 28-ounce can), roughly chopped
2 sprigs of fresh thyme
2 sprigs of fresh basil
1 tablespoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Steps:

  • Arrange the eggplant slices on several baking sheets and sprinkle generously all over with kosher salt. Set aside to let the bitter juices weep from the eggplant, about 1 hour.
  • Transfer the eggplant to a colander in the sink, and rinse well under cold running water. Transfer eggplant to a work surface and blot very dry with paper towels.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, breadcrumbs, oregano, thyme, and season with pepper.
  • Place the flour in a medium lipped plate or bowl. In another medium bowl, whisk the egg and milk together. Dredge an eggplant slice in the flour, then dip it in the egg, and finally dredge it in the breadcrumb mixture. Shake off any excess breading and transfer the eggplant to a baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining eggplant.
  • In a large straight-sided skillet, pour the oil to a depth of 1/2 inch. Heat the oil over medium heat until it registers 400 degrees F on a deep frying thermometer. (The oil must be heated to 400 degrees F. so that the breaded eggplant, when added, will drop the temperature of the oil to the proper frying temperature of 375 degrees F.)
  • Working in small batches, fry the eggplant slices, turning once, until golden brown, about 3 minutes per batch. Using tongs, transfer to a paper towel-lined baking sheet and season with salt to taste. Repeat with the remaining eggplant.
  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly brush a 15 x 10- x 2-inch-baking dish with olive oil. Cover the bottom of the baking dish with 1/3 of the marinara sauce and arrange half of the eggplant over the sauce. Cover the eggplant with another 1/3 of the sauce. Scatter half of the Parmesan and half of the mozzarella over the sauced eggplant. Repeat with the remaining eggplant, sauce, Parmesan, and mozzarella. Bake until hot and just beginning to brown, about 30 minutes. Serve immediately.
  • Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Saute the onion and garlic, stirring, until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and the herb sprigs and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.
  • Remove and discard the herb sprigs. Stir in the salt and season with pepper to taste. Use immediately, store covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 2 months.
  • Yield: about 3 1/2 cups
  • Copyright 2001 Television Food Network, G.P. All rights reserved

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