Eggplant Parmesan

Parmigiana di Melanzane (Eggplant Parmesan Recipe) by Tara Patrican

Despite its Northern Italian name Tara’s recipe is very much a Southern Italian creation. While parmigiana literally means “from the (northern) city of Parma,” Parmigiana di Melanzane (Eggplant Parmesan) is a traditional dish of the southern regions of Campania, Calabria and Sicily. Intriguingly, like garlic bread and spaghetti and meatballs, the popular variations made with veal and chicken have little to do with autentico Italian cuisine and were invented by Italian immigrants in North America.

Eggplant Parmesan Sauce Ingredients

1 yellow onion, chopped

6 cloves garlic

½ cup olive oil

2 28-ounce cans whole canned tomatoes

1 bunch fresh basil, chopped

Salt and pepper, to taste

4 cups Italian breadcrumbs

1 cup Parmesan cheese, divided

I 16-ounce bag shredded Mozzarella cheese

Eggplant Parmesan Ingredients

1 large eggplant

3 eggs

Salt and pepper to taste

How to Make Eggplant Parmesan

Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Sauté onion and garlic in olive oil until tender. Add the tomatoes, basil, salt, and pepper, and cook over low heat for 90 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Slice the eggplant into 1⁄8-inch slices. Mix the eggs in a bowl with salt and pepper to taste and ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese. Place the bread crumbs in a separate bowl. Dip eggplant slices into the egg mixture, and then into the bread crumbs. In a large pan, sauté in olive oil until browned on both sides. Set aside.

In a casserole dish, layer in this order: sauce, eggplant, sauce, shredded Mozzarella cheese, grated Parmesan cheese, eggplant, sauce, shredded Mozzarella cheese, and then grated Parmesan cheese. Cover the casserole dish with tin foil; spray the underside of the tin foil with cooking spray to prevent sticking. Bake covered for 1 hour. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving. Serves 4 to 6.

This eggplant parmesan recipe would be paired perfectly with any of our recipes in our new cookbook!