Eggplant Parmigiana

So this week's recipe was a little gourmet compared to my usual choice of dinners, but all the same, it was really yummy. Doug made the whole thing and it turned out great. Some of his observations though were that it's a pretty involved recipe (takes time and doing) and also that he didn't really follow the measurements exactly. He did what looked right. The cheese and such he sprinkled until it looked good, we didn't use 2 full eggplants because the ones at the store were monstrous in size. There were 5 adults and 1 child at this Monday Night Dinner (mini-Martin reunion), and everyone at the table loved it. I think everyone asked for seconds and we still had a little leftover.

Just a tip from the queen of leftovers (actually the princess, my mom would be queen): I've started dividing up leftovers into portion-size containers. I used to just dump the entire meal into 1 large container and then scoop out what I wanted on a plate to reheat. Or worse, reheat the whole thing, eat what I wanted and refrigerate again the rest. Not only does putting leftovers in smaller portions help when Doug or I are grabbing lunch for the next day (1 person isn't stuck taking the whole thing to work), but it also helps prevent overeating. Some people see the large dish, heat the whole thing and then eat the whole thing because they heated it and don't want to refrigerate it again or toss it. This helps our family watch our portions a little more than we used to.

• 2 medium eggplants (1 1/2lbs total), cut into 1/4 inch rounds
• salt and pepper
• 2 cans (28oz each) whole peeled tomatoes, pureed (I just used a bunch of tomato sauce)
• 3 cloves garlic, smashed, peeled
• 1 1/2 cups plain dried breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano (2 oz) divided
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 pound fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced

In colander, toss eggplant with 2 tsp salt. Let stand 30 minutes. Arrange slices in a single layer on a dishtowel 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 simmers 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. 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.

NOTES: I made this recipe a second time and did everything but the baking the day before. Recipe turned out great. I also tried using fresh tomatoes and just put them in my Magic Bullet to puree them (I had a ton frozen from my couponing deals). It worked alright, though my husband did say the recipe was missing something. I think the pre-made tomato sauce I used last time probably has some kind of filler and salt in it.

Serves: 8
Prep Time: 50 min
Total Time: 2 hrs

Recipe from Martha Stewart Living