Grilled Eggplant Parmesan

By junerodgers

Ingredients

• 2 medium eggplants, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch thick rounds
• Olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Sea Salt and Pepper
• 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 5 Roma tomatoes, sliced into 1/4-inch thick rounds
• 1/2 cup Bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
• Basil leaves
• 1 lb. dried pasta (any shape will work)

Preparation

Step 1

Place eggplant rounds on a baking sheet and sprinkle generously with sea salt. Feel free to layer eggplant if needed, just make sure each layer is covered with salt. Let sit for about 30 minutes (you’ll notice the moisture leeking out of the eggplant-that’s what you want). After 30 minutes, rinse the rounds, then squeeze any moisture out of them (don’t worry about tearing them, they’ve pretty much turned into sponges now). Pat dry, season with salt and pepper, and set aside while you heat up a pan.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat, and spray with cooking spray or a little olive oil. I used a griddle here, so I could cook all the eggplant at once. I tend to use cooking spray when I grill eggplant, because it has a tendency to soak up the oil way to quickly, and you end up using a bit too much. Grill the eggplant until nicely browned on both sides, about 15 minutes. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 400.

In a large baking or casserole dish, pour about 1/2 to 1 cup of the crushed tomatoes. Layer the eggplant on top of the crushed tomatoes. Follow with a layer of sliced tomatoes, salt and pepper, and a sprinkle of some torn basil leaves. Repeat, ending with a final layer of tomatoes, and some more torn basil and the minced garlic. Sprinkle with bread crumbs and parmesan cheese, and drizzle with olive oil.

Bake uncovered for about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta and heat the leftover crushed tomatoes in a small saucepan. When the eggplant is ready, it’s time to plate. Put a serving of pasta on each plate, top with some leftover crushed tomatoes, and finally place a few eggplant stacks on top. Sprinkle any basil you have left on top and serve with additional parmesan cheese.