Eggplant can be so delicious if prepared correctly. For eggplant Parmesan, the eggplant needs to be drained of the water and bitterness before pan frying. You can find a lot of different methods on how to drain eggplant but I just use some paper towels and something heavy to press on top of the slices. I also like to strain the tomato sauce because it prevents the dish from becoming too watery. The eggplant parmesan turned out well–after the second round of cooking. I took it out the first night and it was just a little undercooked. The next day I cooked it about twice as long and it tasted great.
Eggplant Parmesan
(Makes 4+ Servings)
Printable Version
Ingredients:
- 1 Eggplant, peeled and sliced in 1/4 inch thick circles
- 1 1/2 cups Bread Crumbs
- 2 eggs, mixed with a little water
- 45 oz.tomato sauce, strained
- 1 large ball mozzarella
- a few tbsp. grated parmesan
- olive oil, for pan frying
- Spaghetti (optional)
Directions:
- Lay some paper towels down and place the eggplant slices on them evenly. Lay more paper towels on top of the slices and press with until the liquid has mostly stopped coming out. Let the eggplant sit for about an hour before cooking.
- Place a cheese cloth or paper towel into a strainer, and drain the tomato sauce of some of the excess water.
- Dip the eggplant slices in the egg and place on the bread crumbs until covered.
- Heat some olive oil in a saute pan and pan fry the slices until both sides are golden brown, about a minute on each side.
- In a baking dish, layer the sauce, eggplant, and cheese in small stacks and bake in a preheated 375F oven for 35 minutes.
Thank you for the tip of drying out your eggplant! I will have to try this next time I prepare my eggplant.