This recipe is a fairly large undertaking—there are a lot of steps, and frying the eggplant will take at least twenty minutes—but it involves no pasta, and the layers of crispy eggplant make it especially hearty. It’s the perfect dish to bring to a friend going through anything stressful (bonus points if she’s a new mom!). Carry it over cold and she
can warm it in a 350°F oven (stick a Post-it on top with the instructions so she won’t have to call you if she forgets). It also freezes nicely for future comfort eating.
Serves: 6 to 8
INGREDIENTS:
- 2½ pounds eggplant (about 3 medium), cut crosswise into ⅓-inch-thick rounds
- 4 teaspoons salt
- Two 28-ounce cans whole tomatoes, including their juices
- 1½ cups plus 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 5 fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped
- 1⅓ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¾ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
- 6 large eggs
- 1½ cups bread crumbs
- 1 pound fresh mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and position an oven rack in the middle of the oven. In a colander set over a bowl, toss the eggplant with 2 teaspoons salt, then let drain 30 minutes. Rinse and pat dry. (Don’t skip this step: It keeps your parm from being watery!)
- Meanwhile, in a blender, working in batches, coarsely puree the tomatoes and their juices. In a 5-quart heavy pot, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil over moderately high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until softened, about 6 minutes. Add the tomato puree, basil, and 1 teaspoon salt. Turn the heat down to low and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, 25 to 30 minutes. Set aside.
- In a shallow bowl, stir together the flour, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, and ⅓ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. In a second shallow bowl, lightly whisk the eggs with ¼ cup water and the remaining ½ teaspoon salt. In a third shallow bowl, spread the bread crumbs.
- Working with 1 eggplant slice at a time, dredge the eggplant in the flour mixture, shaking off the excess. Dip the slice in the egg mixture, letting the excess drip off. Dredge in the bread crumbs until evenly coated. Transfer the coated eggplant slices to sheets of wax paper.
- Heat the remaining 1½ cups oil in a 12-inch-deep nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then fry the eggplant 4 slices at a time, until golden brown, turning over once, 5 to 6 minutes per batch. Transfer with tongs to paper towels to drain.
- Lightly oil a 3-to 3½-quart glass or ceramic dish. Spread 1½ cups of the reserved tomato sauce in the bottom of the baking dish. Arrange about one third of the eggplant slices in a single layer over the sauce, overlapping slightly if necessary. Cover the eggplant with about one third of the remaining sauce, one third of the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, and one third of the mozzarella. Continue layering with the remaining eggplant, sauce, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and mozzarella, ending with a layer of mozzarella.
- Tightly cover the baking dish with a sheet of oiled foil. Bake for about 20 minutes, until the cheese is melted. Uncover and bake until the cheese is golden and the sauce is bubbling, about 25 minutes longer. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.
