Growing up the only way my mom ever made eggplant was to slice it thin, batter & deep fry it.  It would come out crispy, golden brown & delicious, but if you didn’t eat it quickly it would become soggy. Over the years eggplant has never been a favorite vegetable of mine, until recently.  Someone told me about a casserole method of making the eggplant and I decided to give it another try.  It was delicious, and my family likes it too.

This makes a great entree or side dish.  Just provide a few extra pieces per person for an entree.  Serve with a salad and you have a virtually carb-free dinner. Enjoy!

 

 

This recipe has 3 steps, but they are all essential and easy to do.

  For this recipe I used an eggplant about 8″ long.  It should have a firm feel to it. No need to peel it, the skin will help hold the slices in shape.

 

First you slice the eggplant into equal slices about 1/2″-3/4″ thick.

 

 

Salt it on both sides and let it rest between layers of paper towels.  This will leach out any bitter liquids from the eggplant.

 

After about 20 minutes or so the paper towels should be slightly wet.

 

Next, place in a single layer on a baking pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray and drizzle with olive oil then roast in a preheated 450 degree oven for about 20 minutes. They will only be partially cooked but that is ok.

 

After 20 minutes in the oven your slices will be slightly browned.  You can tell that the ones at the top of this photo were sliced a little too thin because they look almost cooked through.  The ones at the bottom of the photo are perfect and not completely cooked. That’s ok because they will finish cooking after we add the sauce.

 

After the eggplant is roasted, spread some pasta sauce in the bottom of a a 9″x13″ casserole dish. Cover it completely and this will prevent the eggplant from sticking to the bottom.

 

Arrange the eggplant in a single layer.

 

  Spoon the pasta sauce on each slice.

 

Add a generous amount of shredded mozzarella cheese over the top, then sprinkle the parmesan cheese over that.

 

Bake in a 375 degree until cheese is melted and bubbly and browned.

 

 

Eggplant Parmesan
 
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For best results, roast the eggplant in a single layer. Also keep it in a single layer in the casserole dish. If you want to make a larger quantity, use two casserole dishes.
Cuisine: vegetable
Serves: 2-4 servings
Ingredients
  • 1 medium eggplant
  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 2 T. grated parmesan cheese
  • 1 jar of your favorite pasta sauce
Instructions
  1. Cut the ends off of the eggplant and slice into ½”- ¾" circles.
  2. Line a sheet pan with a double layer of paper towels.
  3. Arrange the slices in a single layer on the paper towels.
  4. Sprinkle both sides with a little salt.
  5. Cover with another paper towel and press down a bit.
  6. Let this sit for about 20 minutes to let some of the moisture drain from the eggplant.
  7. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 450 degrees.
  8. Remove the paper towels from the sheet pan, spray it with cooking spray, and drizzle some olive oil over the eggplant.
  9. Roast in the oven for about 20 minutes.
  10. Put about ½-1 cup of pasta sauce in a casserole dish and tilt it this way and that to evenly coat the bottom with sauce.
  11. Add the roasted eggplant to the dish in a single layer.
  12. Add enough pasta sauce to coat each piece of eggplant.
  13. Sprinkle generously with mozzarella cheese.
  14. Sprinkle the parmesan cheese over the top.
  15. Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes until the cheese is a golden color and the sauce is bubbly.