Tomato Tomatoe

lighter eggplant Parmesan

Eggplant parmigiana will forever remind me of my mom and grandma. I remember eating this at my grandmas house when I was a kid and she would make a small tray of it. My moms recipe is to die for! Her recipe also takes a lot more time to make than this one.

The traditional version involves battering the eggplant in egg and flour then frying each piece individually. It’s definitely a day long process. I love this version because it cuts the time in half yet still has all of the delicious elements of a traditional eggplant parm. My mom always makes two trays at once (one to freeze and one for dinner). I love doing the same thing with this recipe too. You’ll be happy you made two! It’s always a nice surprise finding an eggplant parm in the freezer 

 

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lighter eggplant parmesan

Ingredients

• 1 large eggplant sliced into 1/4 inch rounds
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup whipped ricotta (place ricotta and a handful of basil into a food processor and blend until smooth)
• 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup parmesan
• 2 cups of homemade tomato sauce or a pomodoro sauce you prefer.
• 1/2 cup crispy panko (heat a small skillet to medium and add a drizzle of oil olive. Once the pan is hot add the panko and cook until golden. This should take a few minutes)
• 1/4 cup freshly chopped basil
  

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425. Slice the eggplant into rounds and assemble on a baking sheet. Brush both sides with olive oil and season with salt. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through or until golden.
2. Assemble the eggplant by spooning a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of the baking dish. Arrange the eggplant and spoon sauce on top, spreading it around ensuring that the eggplant is covered in sauce. Sprinkle mozzarella, basil and parmesan. Add dollops of the ricotta mixture and sprinkle on half of the panko. Repeat the process for the second layer.
3. Cover with foil and bake in the oven at 400 for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and let it broil for a few minutes until the top is golden. Let it set for 10 minutes before serving.