Eggplant Parmigiana With Marinara Food

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.

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°.

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 SANDWICH

Steps:

• Slice the eggplant crosswise about 1/4 to 3/8-inch thick - make slices as consistent as possible. If the base of the eggplant is very large, cut it in half lengthwise. Soak the sliced eggplant in a large bowl of warm, salted water for 1 to 2 hours. Make sure the eggplant is completely submerged in the salt water.
• Scramble the 3 eggs with salt and pepper to make an egg wash. Remove eggplant slices from the salt bath, shake off excess moisture, and dip into egg wash. Then dip the eggplant slices, 1 at a time, into a flat plate filled with seasoned bread crumbs, covering all surfaces, and set aside. Continue breading the eggplant until all slices are done. Discard excess egg wash and bread crumbs.
• In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add enough olive oil to lightly coat the bottom of the pan and allow it to heat up. (Add more oil as necessary during cooking.)
• Add the breaded eggplant slices to the pan, cover and cook until you begin to see the eggplant become translucent, about 5 minutes. If it begins to burn, lower heat and allow it to cook slowly. Using a large spatula, turn eggplant onto the other side and cook 1 to 2 more minutes with the lid on until eggplant is completely tender.
• When eggplant is completely cooked, remove from frying pan and place onto paper towels to blot any excess oil.
• Place 2 or 3 eggplant slices onto warmed Italian roll, top with shredded mozzarella cheese, then warm marinara sauce. Enjoy!

EGGPLANT PARMESAN

Steps:

• Arrange the eggplant slices on several baking sheets and sprinkle generously all over with kosher salt. Set aside to let the bitter juices weep from the eggplant, about 1 hour.
• Transfer the eggplant to a colander in the sink, and rinse well under cold running water. Transfer eggplant to a work surface and blot very dry with paper towels.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, breadcrumbs, oregano, thyme, and season with pepper.
• Place the flour in a medium lipped plate or bowl. In another medium bowl, whisk the egg and milk together. Dredge an eggplant slice in the flour, then dip it in the egg, and finally dredge it in the breadcrumb mixture. Shake off any excess breading and transfer the eggplant to a baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining eggplant.
• In a large straight-sided skillet, pour the oil to a depth of 1/2 inch. Heat the oil over medium heat until it registers 400 degrees F on a deep frying thermometer. (The oil must be heated to 400 degrees F. so that the breaded eggplant, when added, will drop the temperature of the oil to the proper frying temperature of 375 degrees F.)
• Working in small batches, fry the eggplant slices, turning once, until golden brown, about 3 minutes per batch. Using tongs, transfer to a paper towel-lined baking sheet and season with salt to taste. Repeat with the remaining eggplant.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly brush a 15 x 10- x 2-inch-baking dish with olive oil. Cover the bottom of the baking dish with 1/3 of the marinara sauce and arrange half of the eggplant over the sauce. Cover the eggplant with another 1/3 of the sauce. Scatter half of the Parmesan and half of the mozzarella over the sauced eggplant. Repeat with the remaining eggplant, sauce, Parmesan, and mozzarella. Bake until hot and just beginning to brown, about 30 minutes. Serve immediately.
• Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Saute the onion and garlic, stirring, until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and the herb sprigs and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.
• Remove and discard the herb sprigs. Stir in the salt and season with pepper to taste. Use immediately, store covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 2 months.
• Yield: about 3 1/2 cups
• Copyright 2001 Television Food Network, G.P. All rights reserved

EASY EGGPLANT (AUBERGINE) PARMIGIANA

Steps:

• Trim the eggplants and cut them into 1/4 inch thick slices.
• Layer the slices in a colander, sprinkling each layer with salt.
• Let drain for 30 minutes.
• Rinse the eggplant and pat dry.
• Pour about 1/2 inch oil a large deep skillet and heat over medium heat.
• Fry the slices, in a single layer, turning once, until browned on both sides.
• Drain on paper towels.
• Preheat the oven to 350.
• Spread a thin layer of tomato sauce in a shallow baking dish.
• Make a layer of eggplant slices, overlapping them slightly.
• Top with a layer of mozzarella, another layer of sauce, and a sprinkle of grated cheese.
• Repeat the layering, ending with eggplant, sauce, and grated cheese.
• Bake for 45 to 60 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbling and the mozzarella is melted.
• Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

EGGPLANT PARMIGIANO

Steps:

• Slice the eggplant into 1/2 inch round slices. Arrange the slices on a baking sheet and sprinkle generously with kosher salt on both sides. Set aside for 1 hour to let the bitter juices weep from the eggplant. Meanwhile, make the marinara sauce.
• Heat the 2 Tbs olive oil over medium-high heat. Saute the onion for 2 minutes and stir in the garlic. Saute for another minute until lightly browned. Add the can of tomatoes, a sprig of fresh basil and 1/2 Tbs of the dried thyme (or a fresh sprig of thyme if you have it). Bring the sauce to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Turn off the burner, remove the herb sprigs and leave the sauce until you are ready to assemble the casserole.
• Heat enough vegetable oil over med-high heat in a large dutch over or high-side skillet to completely cover the slices of eggplant.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
• Place the flour in a deep plate.
• Whisk the eggs with the milk in another another deep plate.
• Combine the bread crumbs, 1 tsp salt, oregano and other 1/2 Tbsp thyme and season well with black pepper in a third deep plate.
• Transfer the eggplant to a colander and rinse well with cold water. Blot the slices dry with clean kitchen towels.
• Dredge the eggplant in the flour, then dip it in the egg and finally dredge it in the breadcrumb mixture. Shake off any excess breading and lay the eggplant on a baking sheet.
• Fry the eggplant in the vegetable oil in small batches. The oil should be 400 degrees. Basically, it needs to be hot. Turn it over once during the frying process and it should be golden brown and crispy on both sides. Remove the eggplant to a baking sheet lined with paper towels. Repeat with remaining eggplant.
• Prepare a 13x9 baking dish by brushing lightly with olive oil.
• Cover the bottom of the baking dish with 1/3 of the marinara sauce. Arrange half of the eggplant over the sauce. Cover the eggplant with another 1/3 of the sauce. Scatter half of the Parmesan cheese and layer half of the mozzarella over the eggplant. Repeat with the remaining eggplant, sauce, parmesan and mozzarella.
• Bake until hot and just beginning to brown, about 30 minutes.
• Serve immediately.