Baked Eggplant Parmesan

A classic Italian dish

Yield:
6 servings
Category:
Vegetarian
Cuisine:
Italian
Prep Time:
1 hrs 0 min
Cooking Time:
50 min
Total Time:
1 hrs 50 min

INGREDIENTS:

  • For the Marinara Sauce:
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon minced yellow onion
  • 2 medium cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 (14.5-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1/4 cup dry white wine (may substitute chicken broth)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • For the Eggplant:
  • 2 large eggplants sliced 1/2inch thick (you'll need 12 slices)
  • 3 eggs beaten
  • 2 cups panko bread crumbs
  • 1 (16 ounce) tub fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced thinly
  • 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Sprinkle some salt on both sides of each slice of eggplant. Layer the slices in a colander and place the colander in your sink. Place a heavy dish or pan over the top to press them down. Allow to sweat for 30 minutes. Rinse well with cold water to remove salt and blot dry with paper towels.
  2. Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray a rimmed baking sheet generously with cooking spray. Dip eggplant slices in egg, then in bread crumbs, pressing crumbs down with fingers if needed to cover evenly. Place in a single layer on an oiled baking sheet and lightly spray tops of breaded eggplant with cooking spray. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes then carefully flip each slice and cook an additional 5 to 10 minutes, until nicely browned. Remove from oven and reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.
  3. In a 9x13 inch baking dish spread just enough marinara sauce to cover the bottom of the dish. Place a layer of eggplant slices in the sauce. Cover each slice with a spoon ful