Eggplant Parmesan  

To make a quick Eggplant Parmesan meal in about 30 minutes, use the frozen eggplant cutlets made by either Trader Joe's or Dominex (available at Sprouts). The Trader Joe's eggplant is peeled and cut into 1/4" slices. The Dominex eggplant is unpeeled and cut into 1/2" slices. They are both good, it's simply a matter of personal preference. There is also a readymade frozen eggplant parmesan entrée by Michael Angelo's.

Making this dish from scratch is messy and will take a couple of hours. But if you like to cook, want a fun family project or don't have a Trader Joe's nearby, the instructions for making it from scratch are at the bottom.

Eggplant Parmesan Ingredients

Servings:  2

Ingredients:

  • Eggplant cutlets 6 - 8
  • Marinara sauce 1 cup
  • Mozzarella, shredded 1/2 cup
 
  • Spaghetti 6 oz.
  • Parmesan, grated to taste
 
  • Greens or salad 2 servings

Directions:
For the eggplant;

  1. Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
  2. Either line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly spray it with canola oil. Arrange the eggplant cutlets in a single layer.
  3. Bake for 15 minutes.
  4. When done, add a spoonful of marinara sauce on each cutlet and sprinkle with shredded mozzarella. Bake for an additional 5 minutes until the cheese is nicely melted.
For the spaghetti;
  1. Bring 2 quarts of water and 1 tsp of salt to a boil.
  2. Break the noodles in half and add to the boiling water. Reduce the heat to a low boil (5). Follow the boiling times on the package.
  3. Drain in a colander and then move to a serving dish.
  4. Heat 2 servings of marinara sauce (about 1 cup). The simplest way is to pour some into a small dish, cover with a paper towel and microwave it.
For the vegetable side;
  1. Either steam some greens or made a salad.

Notes:
Cooking the three components of this meal together at the same time can reduce the overall meal preparation time. Start with the 2 quarts of water. Bringing the water to a boil takes the most time. Next preheat the oven and prepare the cutlets. While the culets are baking, boil the pasta and steam the veggies. Baking is the preferred method of reheating rather than frying in oil. It also gives you a hot oven for heating the marinara and melting the cheese.

Optionally serve with some garlic or artisan bread.


Eggplant Parmesan

Eggplant Parmesan from Scratch:

For the breadcrumbs, you can either buy readymade Panko breadcrumbs or make your own by simply putting 4 slices out to dry on a rack the day before. Then just pulse the dried slices in a blender.

Servings:  4

Ingredients:

  • Eggplant 1 good size, 3½-4" diameter,
approx 1.5 lb
  • Kosher salt 1½ tsp
 
  • Flour 3/4 cup
  • Eggs 2
  • Bread crumbs 2 cups
  • Parmesan, grated 1/2 cup
 
  • Marinara sauce 2 cups
  • Mozzarella, shredded 1 cup
  • Basil leaves optional, for garnish
 
    Reverse Columns

Directions:
Prepare the eggplant;

  1. Slice the eggplant into 1/4" rounds. Peeling is optional.
  2. Sprinkle the kosher salt over the slices in a large bowl and mix well. Put slices in a colander set over a bowl. Let stand for about 30-45 min. Several Tbsp of water will come out. This removes the bitter taste and gives a better texture when cooked.
  3. Rinse the eggplant in a colander under cold water to remove the salt and pat dry with paper towels.
Make the cutlets;
  1. Adjust the oven racks to the upper and lower 1/3 positions and preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
  2. Put the flour on a plate or dish.
  3. Beat 2 eggs in a dish that can be used for dipping the eggplant slices.
  4. Empty the breadcrumbs into a pie plate and stir in 1/2 cup parmesan cheese.
  5. Spray two baking sheets with canola oil.
  6. Now for the assembly line process! Coat both sides of the eggplant slice in the flour and shake off any excess. Dip the floured slice in the egg, let the excess run off, place in bread crumbs, sprinkle crumbs on the top (keep one hand dry, one wet) and move to the baking sheet.
  7. Place baking sheets in the oven and bake for 30 min. Rotate trays and flip after 15 min.
Prepare the final dish;
  1. In a 13"x9" glass dish, spread a layer of marinara sauce on the bottom, approx 1 cup. Layout the first layer with half the slices. Put a spoonful of sauce on each slice and spread around. Sprinkle with mozzarella, approx 1/2 cup. Repeat for the second layer.
  2. Bake at 425 degrees for about 10 min until cheese is melted.
  3. Cool for 10 min. before serving. Sprinkle with some fresh chopped basil for garnish.

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