- 2 large globe eggplants sliced in to1/2 inch thick slices
- 2 cups of bread crumbs
- 1 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
- 3 cups grated mozzarella
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- salt & pepper to taste
- enough Bella Nonnas Ultra Premium EVOO* to pan fry the eggplant
*Garlic, Rosemary, Tuscan Herb or Herbs de Provence Olive Oils would work well in this recipe!
Sauce
- 3 cups canned or fresh crushed tomatoes
- 1 large onion diced fine
- 1 large bunch fresh basil
- 1 tsp. dried oregano or a sprig of fresh oregano
- 4 garlic cloves diced fine
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 3 tablespoons Bella Nonnas Ultra Premium EVOO
- salt and pepper to taste
Cooking Instructions:
Sauce:
- Start by making the sauce.
- Heat three tablespoons of olive oil in a sauce pan over medium heat.
- Sauté the onion until translucent.
- Add the garlic and sauté for another minute without letting it brown.
- Pour in the wine and allow to reduce for a minute.
- Add the tomatoes, half of the basil leaves torn or roughly cut in to pieces, the oregano and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Allow the sauce to simmer gently over low heat until nicely thickened.
- Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
- Add the rest of the basil leaves to the sauce just before assembling.
Eggplant:
- While the sauce is simmering, salt the eggplant slices and put in a colander in the sink for 20 minutes.
- Pat the slices dry.
- In a wide bowl, mix the flour with 1 teaspoon of salt and fresh pepper to taste.
- In a separate wide bowl mix the bread crumbs with Parmesan cheese and another teaspoon of salt and pepper to taste.
- Whisk the eggs together in a third wide bowl.
- Heat about a 1/4" of olive or vegetable oil in a large frying pan over medium high heat.
- First dredge the eggplant into the flour, then dip in to eggs, then dip in to bread crumbs being sure to coat thoroughly each time.
- Preheat the oven to 400.
- Without overcrowding the pan, fry the eggplant slices until golden brown on both sides set aside on paper towels until all slices are browned.
- Lightly grease a a 13x9 baking pan and ladle 1 cup of sauce in to the bottom layer eggplant slices in the bottom without overlapping.
- Ladle another cup on top and sprinkle with 1 cup of Mozzarella.
- Repeat the layers two more times, ending with mozzarella on top.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes until bubbling and golden. Serves 6.
Cooking Time : 25-30
Servings : 6