Eggplant Parmesan made by roasting the eggplant rather than frying it makes it much lighter and less oily. Fresh tomato sauce raises the flavor level of this recipe enormously; although it’s still delicious with bottled sauce.
I began making this recipe with rounds of eggplant rather than the usual long slices so that I would have individual servings. This method makes the Eggplant Parmesan much easier to serve to a crowd. You can even make a large batch and freeze each stack individually so you always have something ready for surprise company.
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Prep time: 20 minutes
Eggplant Parmesan
By Published: July 23, 2014
Yield:
- 6 Servings
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 2 large eggplants
- sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cups tomato sauce
- 1 cup basil leaves washed and chopped
- 16 ounces whole milk mozzarella
- 1/2 cup parmesan grated
- 1/4 cup unflavored bread crumbs can use gf crumbs
Equipment
- 1 large cookie sheet
- 1 large jellroll pan wth lip lined with baking parchment
- 1 pastry brush
Directions
- Preheat oven to 450° F. Brush a little oil on cookie sheet.
- Cut eggplants into 1/2 inch round slices. Arrange slices on cookie sheet and roast for about 10 minutes or until they begin to brown. Brush the top of eggplant slices with olive oil and roast five minutes longer. Slices should be soft enough to be easily pierced with a knife. Sprinkle roasted eggplant slices with a little sea salt and pepper and let them cool down a few minutes.
- Place a layer of roasted eggplant in jellyroll pan. Leave about 1/2 inch between slices so that they can be easily separated. Spread about 1/3 cup tomato sauce over each slice. Sprinkle with chopped basil and then with a 1/4 inch slice of mozzarella and two teaspoons of Parmesan. Place a second layer of eggplant rounds on top of the first. Add sauce, basil and cheese. Repeat process until all the eggplant has been used up. I like to have two layers but certainly no more than than three per serving. Sprinkle the tops with crumbs.
- Reduce oven to 375° F. Place jelly roll pan in the oven and bake until the tops have puffed and browned- about 25 minutes. Arrange cooked portions on a platter or plate each one individually. Serve hot. Enjoy!
