Eggplant Parmesan

By LaLaCooks

Mark Bittman

To save both time and effort, you can use broiled eggplant slices in this dish, omitting the sautéing of the eggplant. In Parma (where we must suppose this dish originated), no one would dream of using mozzarella here, and you should try it that way at least once.

Ingredients

• 2 medium-to-large eggplant (2 to 3 pounds total)
• Salt (optional)
• Olive oil as needed
• Flour for dredging
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 2 cups Basic Tomato Sauce
• ½ pound grated mozzarella cheese, about 2 cups (optional)
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more if you omit the mozzarella
• 30 About 30 fresh basil leaves

Details

Servings 6
Cooking time 120mins
Adapted from cookstr.com

Preparation

Step 1

1 Peel the eggplant if the skin is thick or the eggplant is less than perfectly firm. Cut it into ½-inch-thick slices and salt it if you like .

2 When you’re ready to cook, preheat the oven to 350°F. Place about 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet and turn the heat to medium. When the oil is hot (a pinch of flour will sizzle), dredge the eggplant slices, one at a time, in the flour, shaking off the excess. Place in the pan, but do not crowd; you will have to cook in batches. Cook for 3 or 4 minutes on each side, until nicely browned, then drain on paper towels. Add some pepper to the slices as they cook, as well as some salt if you did not salt the eggplant. Add more oil to the skillet as needed.

3 Lightly oil a baking dish, then spoon a little of the tomato sauce into it. Top with a layer of eggplant, then a thin layer of each of the cheeses, and finally a few basil leaves. Repeat until all the ingredients are used up, reserving some of the basil for garnish. End with a sprinkling of Parmesan.

4 Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the dish is bubbling hot. Mince the remaining basil and sprinkle over the top. Serve hot or at room temperature.