Classic Eggplant Parmesan with Mozzarella and Basil
I am so excited to post this Classic Eggplant Parmesan as the first recipe in my new blog. It is truly one of my favorite recipes, and I hope you all enjoy it, too.
Spring in the Hudson Valley is a truly special time of year. Our once bare trees are now thick with rich green leaves, and every week a different bush or tree bursts into bloom. Right now our daffodils and forsythia are in full flower and are such a cheerful sight.
Although spring is a beautiful season in its own right, part of the reason I love it so much is because it is a reminder that summer, with all it’s amazing produce, will soon be here. One of my favorite vegetables to pick up at the summer farm stand is eggplant. On warm summer evenings there is nothing better than grilled eggplant, served with ripe tomatoes and creamy fresh mozzarella cheese. But this time of year, I like making oven baked eggplant parmesan.
About Classic Eggplant Parmesan with Mozzarella and Basil
This Classic Eggplant Parmesan has been a family favorite in my house for the last 25 years. Over time, I’ve perfected this recipe to be wonderfully cheesy, with crispy eggplant and a flavorful, smooth tomato sauce. I especially appreciate that this is a meatless entrée, but that it still acts as the centerpiece of a hearty, family dinner.
I especially love that this is such an inexpensive dish to prepare. The ingredient list is fairly short, and none of the foods on it are costly. This recipe is also great if you’re a fan of cooking from your pantry, since most of the ingredients are items many of us like to keep on hand at all times. I really like that there is no meat in the dish; it is such a nice break from eating meat or seafood every night. Also, if I decide to make this dish at the last moment, I know I just need to pick up an eggplant and some fresh basil and I will be ready to cook.
How I Made This Dish
It’s also great that this dish takes no more than an hour to assemble. Once you get your sauce simmering and your eggplant dipped and fried, you simply layer it in the pan and pop it into the oven. While it bakes, I like to toss together a simple salad and boil some pasta. Or, sometimes I serve it with sautéed broccoli rabe and garlic bread.
When I first made this dish, I filled the sauce with garlic, onions, and chunks of tomatoes. But, over time, I realized that those things were overpowering the natural sweetness of the tomatoes and eggplant, and that the textures were off-putting to some of the more sensitive palates in my household. Hence, this Classic Eggplant Parmesan is onion, garlic, and tomato lump free.
The first step to making perfect Classic Eggplant Parmesan, is to make a perfectly balanced, light but flavorful, tomato sauce. I’ve given spice and seasoning measurements, but you’re really going to have to taste the sauce to make sure it has the right balance of acidity and sweetness, and herbs and spice. The homemade chicken broth is truly optional. If I don’t have any in my freezer, I just omit it from the dish. But, it does add a subtle richness and depth of flavor.
While the sauce simmers, it’s time to focus on the star of the dish, the eggplant. First, peel the eggplant, using a vegetable peeler or a knife. It’s okay if some of the skin stays on the eggplant, just try and get most of it off. Next, slice the eggplant thinly, in long vertical pieces. Thin slicing helps the eggplant cook through, while giving it an extra crispy exterior. Then, line three bowls up, next to your stove. The first bowl is for your seasoned flour, the middle bowl is for your beaten eggs, and the third bowl, placed right next to your stove is for your seasoned breadcrumbs. It’s very important to find a brand of breadcrumbs that you like; bad breadcrumbs can definitely ruin this dish. My first choice for breadcrumbs is to buy them at the bakery of Uncle Giuseppe’s Marketplace, but since we’re in the middle of a coronavirus pandemic I’ve been limiting my grocery trips to once a week, at a different store. So, I’ve been having a lot of breading success with 4C Plain Breadcrumbs and I highly recommend them. As the oil heats in your skillet, begin dipping your slices in the three bowls. Put a small piece of eggplant in the oil, and when it begins to sizzle in the oil you can start adding your breaded slices, being careful not to overcrowd the pan. When the slices are brown on both sides, remove them to drain on a wire rack placed over a sheet pan.
When all the eggplant is cooked, all you need to do is layer it loosely in the pan, with the sauce and the cheese. Then, while the eggplant bakes, you have ample time to boil your pasta and make your salad. Needless to say, this dish is also delicious served on a roll as an Eggplant Parmesan Sandwich. It also makes great leftovers, heated up the next day for lunch.
Classic Eggplant Parmesan
Equipment
- Cast Iron or other heavy skillet
- ceramic or other 9×13 baking dish
- Dutch oven, or other pot 3 quarts or larger
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
- 1 box Pomi strained tomatoes, or 28 oz. plum tomatoes, pureed
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 1/2 tsp dried basil
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1/2 cup homemade chicken broth optional
- 1 eggplant peeled and sliced lenghwise in 1/4 in slices
- 1 cup flour
- 5 eggs beaten
- 4 cups plain dried breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese grated
- 2 cups vegetable oil
- 3 cups whole milk mozzarella cheese grated
- 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
For the tomato sauce:
- In a Dutch oven, heat the olive oil, and add the tomatoes, 1/4 tsp. salt, the sugar, and one teaspoon each of the oregano, basil, and garlic powder. Also, add the chicken broth, and hot pepper flakes. Simmer, covered, for thirty minutes.
For the eggplant:
- As the sauce simmers, prepare three bowls for breading the eggplant. In the first bowl, mix the flour with 1/4 tsp each of salt and pepper. In the second bowl, mix the beaten eggs. In the third bowl, mix the breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, and the rest of the salt, pepper, and spices.
- Meanwhile, heat a 1/4 inch of oil in a large cast iron skillet, until a small piece of eggplant sizzles immediately.
- Dip one piece of eggplant at a time into each of the three bowls. Each slice should be completely covered in breadcrumbs. Fry about 4 slices at a time, until each side is brown and crispy. Flip each slice over only once. Drain the cooked eggplant on a wire rack.
- In a 13×9 casserole dish, place a 1/3 of the eggplant slices, topped with 1 cup of sauce, and 1 cup of cheese. Repeat twice. You will have leftover sauce. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes. Garnish with fresh basil and serve.
