EGGPLANT PARMIGIANA

Eggplant Parmigiana – Recipe

IItalian cuisine offers much more than the well-loved pizza and pasta. beautifully demonstrates how simple ingredients can create something utterly delicious. My aunt from Italy reminds me of this, who prepares a mouth-watering casserole that leaves not a single drop of sauce on the plate, much to our family’s delight.

The secret to an outstanding Parmigiana lies in the eggplant preparation. By thinly slicing the vegetables, sprinkling them with salt, placing them in a colander, and weighing them down, you can draw out their natural bitterness in about an hour, leaving them wonderfully tender.

EGGPLANT PARMIGIANA – Recipe :

28 ounce can of whole San Marzano Tomatoes,
2 eggplants,
7 oz of mozzarella,
3.5 oz of grated Parmesan,
1 oz of olive oil,
2 cloves of garlic,
6 fresh basil leaves,
salt and black pepper to taste

Warm the olive oil in a pan. Add the crushed garlic and gently sauté on low heat. Mix in the Tomatoes, breaking them apart with a spoon.
Season with salt, pepper, and basil, letting it simmer on low heat for 15-20 minutes until the sauce thickens.
Slice the eggplants about 0.4 inches thick. To remove bitterness, sprinkle them with salt and wait for 30 minutes, then rinse and pat dry with a paper towel.
In a pan, heat some oil and fry the eggplants in batches until each side is golden brown.
In an ovenproof dish, lay down a base of tomato sauce, followed by a layer of eggplant. Sprinkle Parmesan and dot pieces of mozzarella on top.
Continue layering until all the ingredients are used. Finish with a topping of tomato sauce and cheese.
Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 20-25 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the dish is beautifully golden on top.

NONNA BELLINO’S COOKBOOK

RECIPES FROM MY SICILIAN NONNA

DANIEL BELLINO Z

AMAZON.com

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Eggplant Parmigiana Recipe

EGGPLANT PARMIGIANA

Recipes

TOMATO SAUCE for EGGPLANT PARMIGIANA

Ingreidents :

8 tablesppons Olive Oil

3 cloves Garlic, peeled and chopped fine

1 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes

1 teaspoon ground Black Pepper

1/2 teaspoon Salt

2 cans San Marzano Tomotoes, removed from can and crushed with your hands

10 fresh Basil Leaves, torn into small pieces

1. Add the Olive Oil to a large stainless steel pot. Turn heat on to a low flame. Add the Garlic.

Cook the garlic for 2 minutes on low heat. Add the Red Pepper and continue cooking for 1 min.

2. Add the tomatoes to the pot, and turn heat to hot. Cook on high heat, stirring the tomatoes with a

wooden spoon. Cook on high heat until the tomatoes start to bubble, then turn heat down to low.

3. Add the Basil, Salt & Black Pepper and mix. Turn heat to medium and cook, as you stir for 8 minutes

on medium heat. Low flame to very low, and cook on a low flame for 14 minutes, stirring occasionally

with a wooden spoon.

4. Turn heat off, and let the sauce rest. It is done.

FRIED EGGPLANT CUTLETS for EGGPLANT PARM

BREADED FRIED EGGPLANT

“TASTY on THEIR OWN”

Ingredients :

3 Medium Large Purple Eggplants
Salt
1 Cup All-purpose Flour
2 Large Eggs
1 1/2 Cups Bread Crumbs
1/3 Cup Parmesan Cheese
1/4 Cup Chopped Fresh Parsley
Sea Salt And Black Pepper
1 Cup Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

Slice the Eggplants into round slices, each about 1/2 -inch thick.
Sprinkle the slices with salt and then place them in a colander.
Leave the eggplant in the colander to drain for at least 1 hour, giving the salt time to absorb the eggplant’s bitterness.
When eggplant are ready to be used, use a fork to lightly beat the eggs in a shallow bowl.
Spread the flour onto one shallow pan, and the breadcrumbs, cheese, and paesley in another one.
Season the eggplant slices to taste with salt and pepper, and then lightly dredge each eggplant slice first lightly in the flour, then the egg, and finally in the breadcrumbs.
In a heavy frying pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat, and when the oil begins to smoke, lay several eggplant slices in a single layer in the pan.
Fry the slices until golden brown, about 3 minutes on each side.
When the first batch is cooked, remove the eggplant from the pan to a serving dish using a slotted spoon.
Repeat the cooking process, beginning by adding 3 fresh tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil to the pan, until all of the cutlets are cooked.
Keep the cooked cutlets warm in a hot oven while you continue to cook all of the eggplant slices.

ASSEMBLING the EGGPLANT

INGREDIENTS :

1 1/2 cups grated Parmigiana Reggiano or Grana Padano Cheese

Get a Baking Pan and caot with a little Olive Oil on the bottom of the pan.

Add a layer of Tomato Sauce to the bottom of the pan.

Place a layer of fried Eggpant on top of the tomato sauce to completely cover.

Top the Eggplant with a layer of Tomato Sauce. Sprinkle grated Parmigiana or Grana Padano Cheese ofver the Eggpant.

Add another layer of Eggplant, top with Tomato Sauce, and grated cheese.

Continue layering the Eggplant, Tomato Sauce, and Grated Chees until all the Eggplant has been used up.

Place the pan of Eggplant into a 400 degree oven. Cook for 7 minutes at 400 degrees, then turn down the heat to 350 degrees. Cook the Eggplant until cooked through, about 35 minutes more at 350 degrees.

Turn oven off and let the eggplant sit in the oven for 7 minutes befor taking it out.

Take the Eggplant out of the oven, and let sit for 12 minutes before serving.

Cut the Eggplant into square or rectangle pieces and serve to your guests.

Note : The Eggplant can be cooked ahead of time, cooled and place in the regrigertator and served later in the day or the next day.

When reheating the cold eggplant to serve. Remove the eggplant at least 30 to 40 minutes befor reheating.

Turn oven on to 350 degrees. Cook the Eggplant for 14 minutes at 350 degrees. Turn the oven temperature down to 325 degrees and continue cooking for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let set for 8 minutes before cutting the Eggplant and serving.

Enjoy!