Eggplant Parmigiana
This is a classic. Slices of tender eggplant cooked in rich olive oil until light and crisp, then nestled in a robust meat sauce full of tomatoes and cabernet along with creamy mozzarella and nutty Parmesan cheese, melted throughout.
Equipment
- Large stockpot or Dutch oven
- Wire rack
- Large sauté pan
- 2 baking dishes, approximately 11” x 7-½” or one deep baking dish, 13” x 9”.
Ingredients
- For the meat sauce:
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 cup chopped sweet onion, about 1 medium onion
- 1 teaspoon chopped garlic, about 2 cloves
- 1 pound ground lamb
- 1 pound ground pork
- 2 cans plum tomatoes, 15-ounces each
- 1 large can crushed tomatoes, 28-ounces
- 1 small can can tomato paste, 6-ounces
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
- 2 teaspoons dried marjoram
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 cup red wine, such as Cabernet Sauvignon
- For the eggplant parmigiana:
- 3 medium eggplants, about 3 pounds
- 1 to 1-¼ teaspoons kosher salt
- 1-½ cups flour
- 5 extra-large eggs, well beaten
- 1-½ cups Italian seasoned bread crumbs
- ¾ cup ¾ cup grated Parmesan
- ⅔ to 1 cup olive oil
- 1 pound mozzarella, sliced thin or shredded
- 1 pound grated Parmesan
Instructions
- For the meat sauce:
- Warm the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Sauté the chopped onion until tender, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for an additional 3 minutes.
- Add the lamb and pork and cook over medium heat until the meat is no longer pink, stirring occasionally, about 10 to 12 minutes.
- Toss in the plum tomatoes, crushing them gently with your hands to break them up into pieces. Add the crushed tomatoes, the tomato paste along with the basil, marjoram, oregano, kosher salt, black pepper and brown sugar.
- Pour the wine into the sauce and stir to blend well. Bring the sauce to a boil then reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 45 minutes.
- For the eggplant:
- Trim the ends from the eggplants, peel and slice them into slices no thicker than ½″
- Spread the eggplant out in a single layer onto baking sheets lined with paper towels. Sprinkle with the kosher salt and let the eggplant rest for about 45 minutes to 1 hour. If your space is limited you can stack with a paper towel between layers.
- Put the flour in one shallow dish, the Parmesan and bread crumbs in another and the beaten eggs in a third dish. Whisk the Parmesan and bread crumbs together.
- Dredge the slices of eggplant in the flour, then dip into the beaten eggs coating well.
- Coat the eggplant with the Parmesan and bread crumbs and place on a wire rack. Continue until all the slices are coated. Let the eggplant set up for about 15 minutes.
- Pour ⅔ cup of the olive oil into a large sauté pan over heat just slightly above medium. When the oil is hot and shimmering, cook the eggplant until crisp and golden, about 5 minutes. Transfer the cooked eggplant to baking sheets lined with paper towels to drain any excess oil. Add more olive oil if needed to cook all the eggplant.
- To assemble the dish:
- Ladle some of the sauce into the bottom of 2 baking dishes (approximately 11” x 7-½”) that have been lightly sprayed with cooking spray. You can also use one deep baking dish, 13” x 9”.
- Place a layer of the eggplant over the sauce, scatter part of the mozzarella cheese over the eggplant and sprinkle with the grated Parmesan cheese.
- Cover with more sauce, another layer of eggplant and cheese. (Reserve some of the mozzarella and Parmesan to top the Parmigiana in the last 15 minutes of baking.) Top with the remaining sauce. Cover the baking dishes tightly with foil and bake in a 350-degree oven for 45 minutes.
- Remove the foil and scatter the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese over the top. Continue baking for an additional 15 minutes until the cheese has melted and the dish is hot and bubbly. Let the eggplant parmigiana for about 15 to 20 minutes to set up a bit before serving.