Recipe by Silvia Baldini — Eggplant Parmigiana is one of my family go-to Sunday meals. This recipe is my version of the Italian classic and it's a lighter and vegetarian option. The eggplants are sliced and grilled instead of fried and then layered with either uncooked, canned crushed Italian tomatoes or with with a simple cooked sauce. I like to use a generous amount of good olive oil, a lot of fresh basil, and smoked mozzarella for extra flavor, but fresh unsalted mozzarella is always a great alternative. To make the sauce I cook the crushed tomatoes with a peeled garlic clove lightly sautéed in a couple of tablespoons of olive oil. I bring the tomatoes to a boil and then I simmer them for 15 minute with a bunch of basil leaves or until the extra liquid is reduced. I end by always removing the garlic clove and I season with a little salt and little pepper.
| Servings | Prep Time |
| 4/6 people | 40 minutes |
| Cook Time |
| 35/45 minutes |
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Recipe by Silvia Baldini — Eggplant Parmigiana is one of my family go-to Sunday meals. This recipe is my version of the Italian classic and it's a lighter and vegetarian option. The eggplants are sliced and grilled instead of fried and then layered with either uncooked, canned crushed Italian tomatoes or with with a simple cooked sauce. I like to use a generous amount of good olive oil, a lot of fresh basil, and smoked mozzarella for extra flavor, but fresh unsalted mozzarella is always a great alternative. To make the sauce I cook the crushed tomatoes with a peeled garlic clove lightly sautéed in a couple of tablespoons of olive oil. I bring the tomatoes to a boil and then I simmer them for 15 minute with a bunch of basil leaves or until the extra liquid is reduced. I end by always removing the garlic clove and I season with a little salt and little pepper.
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Ingredients
- 2 large eggplants, sliced into 3/8 to 1/2 inch thick rounds
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 16-ounces can crushed Italian tomatoes
- 1 cup Parmigiano Reggiano
- 8 ounces smoked mozzarella sliced thin
- 1 large bunch bunch fresh basil leaves
- salt and pepper
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil for finishing
- butter unsalted
Servings: people
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Slice the eggplants into thin rounds. Brush each slice lightly on both side with the olive oil.
- Put a grill pan on high heat. Get the pan hot. Grill the eggplant slices on both sides and until soft. Make sure to get even grill marks. Brush again lightly with olive oil and adjust the seasoning. Set aside.
- Grease an 8 x 8 inch baking dish with olive oil. Spread 2 tablespoons of tomato on the bottom of the dish. Line the bottom of the dish with the grilled eggplant in a single layer. Spread a little less than 1/3 of the tomatoes over the eggplant. Make a layer of smoked mozzarella and sprinkle a liberal amount of Parmigiano Reggiano over it. Place a few torn pieces of basil over this layer.
- Continue making layers with the eggplant, tomatoes, mozzarella, Parmigiano, and basil until you have used up the eggplant. Skip the basil on the top layer.
- Dot the top layer with some unsalted butter and sprinkle with Parmigiano. Place the dish into the upper third of the preheated oven. Cook for about 35 minutes. The eggplant should be bubbling and the mozzarella nicely melted.
- Allow to rest and settle for about 5 minutes before slicing and serving.
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