Eggplant Parmigiana With Margherita Pepperoni Food

EGGPLANT PARMIGIANA WITH MARGHERITA® PEPPERONI

Steps:

• Slice each eggplant lengthwise into slices about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick.
• In a large skillet, add olive oil (approximately 1/4 inch deep) and heat for frying.
• In a bowl, mix eggs and water together. On a large plate, mix grated Parmigiana-Reggiano cheese and 4 cups seasoned breadcrumbs together. Dip eggplant into the egg mixture, then the breadcrumb mixture. Place breaded eggplant slices into skillet and fry until golden brown, rotating once if necessary. Remove from skillet.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• In an 8 by 12-inch baking dish, place the 4 largest eggplant slices, evenly spaced apart from each other. Over each slice, spread 1/4 cup of tomato sauce and sprinkle with a teaspoon of basil. Place one slice of mozzarella and 3 slices pepperoni over each slice and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon grated Parmigiano. Place the smaller slices of eggplant over each of the disks and repeat with tomato sauce, basil, pepperoni and the 2 cheeses. Repeat the layering again until all the ingredients are used.
• Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs over the top of the eggplant dish, and bake uncovered until the cheese is melted and the tops turn light brown, about 20 minutes.

EGGPLANT PARMIGIANA

Steps:

• Place eggplant in a colander; sprinkle with salt. Let stand for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute the onions, basil, bay leaves, oregano and thyme in oil until onions are tender. , Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, honey and lemon-pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Add garlic; simmer 10 minutes longer. Discard bay leaves., Rinse eggplant slices; pat dry with paper towels. In a shallow bowl, combine eggs and pepper; place bread crumbs in another shallow bowl. Dip eggplant into eggs, then coat with crumbs. Let stand for 5 minutes., In a large skillet, cook half of the eggplant in 2 tablespoons butter for 3 minutes on each side or until lightly browned. Repeat with remaining eggplant and butter. , In each of two greased 11x7-in. baking dishes, layer half of each of the eggplant, tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 375° for 35 minutes or until a thermometer reads 160°.

TRADITIONAL EGGPLANT PARMIGIANA

Steps:

• In a colander, toss eggplant with 2 teaspoons salt. Let stand 30 minutes. Arrange slices in a single layer on a dish towel and roll up tightly to extract excess water.
• Meanwhile, in a medium pot, bring tomatoes and garlic to a boil. Reduce heat and cook at a rapid simmer until thickened, 30 minutes.
• In a shallow dish, combine breadcrumbs and 1/4 cup Parmesan; season with salt and pepper. Put flour and eggs in two more shallow dishes. Coat eggplant in flour, shaking off excess. Dip in egg, letting excess drip off. Coat with breadcrumbs.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large straight-sided skillet, heat oil over medium-high (a few breadcrumbs should sizzle when added). In batches, fry eggplant until golden brown and tender, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Drain on a paper-towel-lined baking sheet.
• Spread 1 cup tomato sauce in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Top with half the eggplant, overlapping slices slightly, 2 cups sauce, and half the mozzarella. Repeat with remaining eggplant, sauce, and mozzarella, then sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan.
• Bake until sauce is bubbling and cheese is golden, about 30 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes before serving.

EGGPLANT PARMIGIANA

Steps:

• Cut the green ends off both eggplants and slice them in 1/2-inch circles. Set aside.
• Heat the oil in a skillet. Meanwhile, beat the eggs, along with a little bit of water, in a shallow dish. Place the flour in a separate shallow dish.
• Dip each eggplant circle into the egg mixture and then into the flour, making sure to coat well on both sides.
• Fry in the hot oil until both sides are golden. Drain the fried eggplant on paper towels and set aside.
• To assemble, cover the bottom of a 9 x 12 x 2-inch baking pan with some tomato sauce. Arrange a layer of the eggplant over the sauce, fitting the eggplant slices tightly together like a puzzle. Cover the eggplant with more sauce. Arrange a layer of mozzarella over this. Top the mozzarella with more sauce. Repeat these layers twice.
• Sprinkle the Romano over the top and bake the eggplant in a 400 degree oven for 30 minutes.
• Chop the garlic until it is fine, either in a food processor fitted with the steel blade or by hand. Heat the oil on high heat in a Dutch oven or large saucepan with at least a 5-quart capacity. Add the garlic and cook until light brown.
• Stir in the tomatoes, juice, and quarts of water. Add the pepper, parsley, basil, sugar and salt. Stir again. When the sauce begins to boil, reduce the heat. Simmer, stirring occasionally, about 45 minutes.

EGGPLANT PARMIGIANA

Steps:

• Make the sauce: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and garlic and season with salt and the red pepper flakes; cook until the onions are soft and translucent, 7 to 8 minutes. Add the sugar and tomatoes and break up some of the tomatoes with a wooden spoon. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring from time to time, until the tomatoes are fairly broken down, 10 to 15 minutes. Taste for seasoning. Let cool.
• Prepare the eggplant: Put the eggplant rounds in a single layer on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt on both sides and let sit, about 1 hour. Rinse the eggplant with cold water and dry thoroughly with a kitchen towel. (Salting the eggplant draws out the liquid and bitter flavor, but it's optional: Skip this step if you don't have time.)
• Put the flour in a medium bowl and season with salt and pepper. In another bowl, whisk the eggs with the milk and season with salt and pepper. In a third bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, oregano and thyme and season with salt and pepper. Dredge each eggplant slice in the flour and shake off any excess. Dip in the egg mixture and finally in the breadcrumbs, coating both sides. Lay the eggplant slices on baking sheets in a single layer.
• Heat about 1/2 inch vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until it begins to smoke lightly (between 380 degrees F and 400 degrees F). Using tongs, add a single layer of eggplant to the skillet and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined baking sheet and season lightly with salt. Repeat until all of the eggplant is fried.
• Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Spoon about one-quarter of the tomato sauce into a 9-by-13-inch flameproof baking dish. Top with a layer of the fried eggplant, overlapping the slices slightly. Top with about one-quarter of the mozzarella, then sprinkle with about one-third each of the parmesan, provolone and basil. Repeat the layering 2 more times (sauce, eggplant, cheese, basil), then finish with the remaining sauce and mozzarella. Press the layers firmly into the dish. Bake until the cheese is melted and bubbly, 35 to 40 minutes. For an extra-brown top, put the dish under the broiler for a minute or two just before serving.

EGGPLANT PARMIGIANA

Steps:

• For the tomato sauce: In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and season with salt and red pepper flakes. Cook until the onions become translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the sugar and the canned tomatoes. Use a wooden spoon to break up some of the whole tomatoes and cook 10 to 15 minutes over medium heat, stirring from time to time. Taste for seasoning, the tomatoes should be fairly broken down and the flavors coming together. Cook for another few minutes if the tomatoes still taste like they need a little more time to break down. Set aside to cool.
• For the eggplant (this step is optional, leave it out if you have limited time): Arrange the eggplant rounds in a single layer on 2 baking sheets. Sprinkle with salt on both sides of each slice and allow it to sit for about 1 hour. Salting it draws out the liquid and bitter flavor. After an hour, rinse with cold water and dry them thoroughly with a kitchen towel.
• Put the flour in a medium bowl and season with salt and pepper. In another bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk and season with salt and pepper. In a third bowl, combine the breadcrumbs with the oregano and fresh thyme leaves and season with salt and pepper. Dip each eggplant slice in the flour and shake off any excess. Then, dip in the egg mixture, and finally in the breadcrumbs. Make sure to coat both sides of each slice of eggplant. Arrange them in single layers on the baking sheets.
• In a large skillet, pour enough oil to accumulate about 1/2-inch in the bottom. Heat the oil until it begins to smoke lightly (alternatively, test with a thermometer and wait until the oil registers between 380 degrees F and 400 degrees F). Use a pair of kitchen tongs to add a single layer of the eggplant to the pan. Cook them until they are golden brown, about 2 minutes on each side. Remove from the oil and transfer to a baking sheet fitted with a kitchen towel so the eggplant can drain as the others cook. Season lightly with salt. Take care to reheat the oil back up to temperature before adding another batch of slices to the pan.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• To assemble: In a 9 by 13-inch flameproof baking dish, spoon about 1/4 of the tomato sauce on the bottom. Top with a layer of the fried eggplant; the eggplant slices can overlap slightly. Top with about 1/3 of the mozzarella slices. Sprinkle with about 1/4 of the Parmesan and provolone cheeses. Top with a layer of torn basil leaves. Spoon sauce and repeat the layering 2 more times to make 3 layers. End with the remaining mozzarella. Carefully press the layers down firmly into the dish once assembled. Place the dish in the top part of the oven and cook until the cheese is melted and bubbly, 35 to 40 minutes. For extra browning, put the dish under the broiler for a minute or two just before serving to get an extra brown cheesy top. I always nibble on a bit of that before sharing it with my friends!

EGGPLANT PARMIGIANA WITH HOMEMADE MARINARA SAUCE

Steps:

• Bread and fry the eggplant: Combine breadcrumbs, pecorino Romano, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and some pepper. Put flour, eggs, and breadcrumb mixture in 3 separate dishes. Dredge eggplant in flour, shaking off excess. Dip in egg, letting excess drip off. Dredge in breadcrumbs to coat. Let stand for 30 minutes.
• Heat oil in large straight-sided skillet over medium-high heat. (Oil is ready when a breadcrumb sizzles when dropped in.) Working in batches, fry eggplant until golden, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined baking sheet. (If oil gets too dirty, discard, and heat an additional 1/4 cup.)
• Assemble the dish: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spread 1/2 cup marinara sauce in the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Arrange a layer of eggplant on top, overlapping slightly. Top with 1 cup sauce. Sprinkle with 1 cup mozzarella and 1/4 cup pecorino Romano. Repeat twice to form layers with eggplant, sauce, then cheeses. Cover with foil. Bake until bubbling, about 30 minutes. Uncover, and bake until cheese melts, about 5 minutes more.

FRANK SINATRA'S EGGPLANT PARMIGIANA

Steps:

• For the Tomato Sauce: Saute the onion, celery, and garlic in oil in a saucepan until tender (about 3 minutes).
• Add in the tomatoes, tomato paste, salt, pepper, parsley, oregano and the bay leaf.
• Simmer uncovered for about 15 minutes, or until it is as thick as you would like. Take out the bay leaf, and set aside.
• For the Eggplant: Combine flour and salt in a bowl.
• Dip the eggplant slices in egg, then in the flour mixture.
• Saute the slices in a skillet in the oil for 3 minutes on each side (or until brown), adding more oil if needed. Drain the eggplant well on paper towels.
• Lay 1/2 of the eggplant in a single layer in a 10 x 6 x 2-inch baking dish, cutting the slices to fit if needed.
• Sprinkle with 1/2 of the Parmesan cheese, 1/2 of the sauce, and also 1/2 of the mozzarella cheese.
• Cut the remaining mozzarella into triangles.
• Repeat layers.
• Bake at 400 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes or until hot, uncovered.

EGGPLANT PARMIGIANA

Steps:

• Sprinkle the eggplant slices lightly with the salt and let the juices disgorge for about half-an-hour. Pat the slices dry. Dust lightly with seasoned plain flour and then brown in olive oil in a non-stick frypan. You will need to do this in batches.
• For the tomato sauce:.
• Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a medium saucepan. Add a finely chopped onion and saute until the onion is transparent. Add 2 finely chopped cloves garlic and saute for a minute. Add 1 400g can Italian diced tomatoes, 2 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped and 1 tbsp parsley, chopped. Grind in black pepper, add half a teaspoon of salt and a pinch of sugar. Simmer for 10 minutes, covered.
• To assemble:.
• Preheat oven to 180°C Lightly grease a baking dish with olive oil. Place a layer of eggplant over the bottom. Top with some tomato sauce and then dot with mozzarella slices. Continue layering until all the eggplant is used up. The last layer should be tomato sauce and mozzarella. Sprinkle with the grated grana padano or parmesan. Drizzle the top lightly with olive oil and bake for about 25 minutes.