EGGPLANT****Eggplant Parmigiana (Mario Batali)

By Unblond1

I liked this very much (Dan tolerated it) but it's easy enough to pull together just for yourself, so go ahead.
16/01/17 - Tripled the recipe and made 2 for the freezer. Great again.

Ingredients

• 1 serving
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 baby eggplant, about 6 oz.
• Salt and pepper
• 1/3 cup basic marinara sauce or cherry tomato sauce (I put WAY too much sauce the first time I made this - just a thin layer each time will do)
• fresh basil leaves, chiffonade (make sure to chiffonade them, whole leaves are really difficult to eat one-handed once cooked)
• 2 ounces fresh mozzarella or Fior' di Latte, sliced 1/8-inch thick, or Tre Stelle Boconccini Medallions
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 1 tablespoon panko

Preparation

Step 1

* Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

* Using some extra-virgin olive oil, lightly oil a baking sheet.

* Slice each eggplant into 1/4 - 1/2 inch thick slices. Lightly season each disk with salt and pepper and place on the oiled sheet. Bake the eggplant at 450 degrees F until the slices begin turning deep brown on top, about 12-15 minutes. Remove the eggplants from the oven and set aside to cool.

* Lower oven temperature to 350 degrees F. In individual baking dish, layer ingredients as follows:

* Eggplant slices
* 2 tablespoons marinara
* Fresh basil leaves
* half of mozzarella
* 1 teaspoon grated parmigiano
* Repeat

* Cover with saran and refrigerate until serving time.

* Combine the panko with a tablespoon of grated parmigiano and about 1/2 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil. Sprinkle over the top of the eggplant dishes, and bake uncovered until the cheese melts and the tops turn light brown, about 30 minutes. Serve immediately.

*NUTRITION:*

* Calories - 327
* Fat - 14.6
* Sat Fat - 9.3
* Carbs - 21
* Fibre - 7.4
* Protein - 25.4