MINI EGGPLANT PARMESAN

Mini Eggplant Parmesan image

Provided by Marc Murphy

Time 1h5m

Yield 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 9

12 mini eggplants, tops trimmed and cut in half
Extra-virgin olive oil, for cooking
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 white onion, finely chopped
3 heirloom tomatoes, diced
1 to 2 anchovy fillets, minced
One 4-ounce piece Parmigiano-Reggiano, freshly grated
1 pound fresh mozzarella, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices

Steps:

Preheat a grill to medium heat. Preheat a pizza oven or regular oven to 475 degrees F.
Add the eggplant halves to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, cut-side up. Drizzle with 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place the eggplant on the grill cut-side down and grill until nicely charred, about 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, place a medium cast-iron pan on the grill and add 2 tablespoons olive oil; heat until hot. Add the garlic and onion and saute until the onions are translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and anchovy, then stir to combine, cooking the tomatoes until nicely broken down, about 10 minutes.
Evenly divide the eggplant, cut-side up, among six 10-ounce cast-iron rectangular pans arranged on a sheet tray for easy transfer to the oven. Spoon over the tomato sauce, then bake until sauce has reduced more, started to char and the eggplants have softened, about 15 minutes.
Remove the sheet tray from the oven and top each pan with the grated Parmesan. Evenly top with the sliced mozzarella, then season with freshly ground black pepper and place back in the oven. Let cook to melt the cheese, another 5 to 8 minutes.