Ingredients
- 3 lbs globe-style eggplants (about 3 medium or 2 large)
- 1 recipe basic marinara sauce (recipe below)
- 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano of Pecorino Romano cheese, or to taste
- 1/2 cup Italian-style drained bread crumbs
- Kosher salt for salting and pressing the eggplant
- Extra virgin olive oil for frying
- Peel the eggplants and slice crosswise into about ¼-½" thick rounds.
- Arrange the slices in a single layer and salt liberally on both sides with kosher salt. Stack the slices in a colander placed over a large bowl and place a heavy pot filled with water on top and press down. Let stand on the counter at room temperature for 60-90 minutes. Discard the brown liquid which accumulates in the bowl below the eggplant.
- Lightly rinse the slices under running water, place on a sheet pan lined with paper towels or a clean kitchen towel. You may need additional layers. Cover the top layer with additional paper towels or kitchen towel and press firmly over all the slices to remove any excess water.
- Place about ½" of EVOO in a large, deep-sided saute pan and heat over medium high heat until shimmering. Put a single layer of eggplant in the pan, don't crowd it, and fry, turning as needed until they are lightly golden brown on both sides. Adjust the heat to avoid over-Bbowning or burning. Slices should be soft, not hard or crisp. Remove to a sheet pan covered with paper towels to drain. Repeat until all the slices have been fried.
- Use a 8 x 8 pyrex baking dish, small casserole or pyrex pie plate (I use the pie plate.) Spread a thin layer of marinara sauce in the bottom of the dish. Lightly sprinkle with grated cheese. Place an even single layer of eggplant on to of the sauce. Aim for full coverage without overlapping. Soon a small amount of sauce on top of the slices and, using the back of a large doin, spread it evenly into a thin layer covering the regularly layer. Sprinkle a moderate amount of grated cheese evenly over the sauce. Spend a light to moderate layer of bread crumbs over the whole thing.*
- Repeat 2 or 3 times for a total of 3 or 4 layers of eggplant, sauce, cheese and crumbs. The last layer can come right to the top of the dish, but shouldn't stick up over the rim. You might have a few slices of eggplant left over, that's ok. Cover the top layer with a heavier amount of crumbs so that the sauce is mostly covered up by crumbs. Optionally you can add a final light sprinkle of grated cheese on top.
- Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil and place in a pre-heated 375° oven. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove the foil. The dish should be hot and bubbling up a little bit around the sides. Put back in the oven for an additional 10-15 minutes uncovered, until the top is nicely browned.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool at least 15-30 minutes. Serve hot as a side dish. The eggplant can also be allowed to cook completely to room temperature and served as a light lunch or snack/hors d'oeuvre spread onto crostini toasts.
Basic Marinara Sauce
- 1 28 oz can of decent crushed tomatoes
- 7 medium cloves of garlic cut into slivers
- ¼ cup EVOO
- ½ tsp dried oregano leaves
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 small pinch crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1-2 stems of fresh basil left whole.
- Put olive oil into a wide saute pan (not a deep pot!) and heat over medium high heat. When hot, add the slivered garlic. Once it starts to sizzle, cook for 30 more seconds.
- Add tomatoes, oregano, salt, and crushed red pepper, if using. Stir and bring to a lowe boil. Last three basil stems with leaves attached on top and allow to wilt a bit before pushing it down into the sauce. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook uncovered for 15- 20 minutes until slightly reduced and the oil in top is an orange color.
- Remove from the heat. Fish out the basil and discard. Taste, and add more salt 1 pinch at a time if needed to taste.
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