One of my Favorite things to do on a Saturday morning is visit my local Farmers Market. Looking for the freshest Eggplant, I can’t wait to head home to put together this cheesy concoction of layered goodness. I also prefer to make my own tomato sauce and use canned or jarred San Marzano tomatoes if I do not have time to process the fresh. See tomato sauce in recipes to make your own.
This is an excellent dish for a dinner party, and is definitely a crowd pleaser!
Ingredients:
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 large eggplant, sliced into 8 rounds
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 cups tomato sauce
- 1 pound fresh mozzarella, sliced into 8 pieces
Preparation:
- Beat eggs in a small dish and set aside.
- In a shallow dish, combine breadcrumbs, 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese, salt and pepper.
- Dip each eggplant slice in egg, then thoroughly coat with breadcrumb mixture and transfer to a large plate.
- Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat until shimmering, then fry the eggplant slices in batches for 2-3 minutes on each side or until golden brown.
- Smear 1 cup of tomato sauce on the bottom of a baking dish.
- Add four fried eggplant slices to the baking dish and top each with a slice of mozzarella.
- Cover with a cup of tomato sauce, then top with 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese.
- Top with the second batch of fried eggplant slices, layer on the last cup of tomato sauce and 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese and top with the rest of the mozzarella.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Remove from oven and preheat broiler to high.
- Broil for 3-5 minutes or until cheese is crisp and browned. Allow to rest for 15 minutes before serving.