Eggplant Parmigiana ala Lucia (my mom’s recipe with few modifications)

Enjoy this old family recipe of my mom’s!  Growing up, it was our go-to meal on Sunday or Friday evening.  We also enjoyed warmed eggplant sandwiches on fresh Italian bread for lunch.  In fact, it was a number-one hit at the beach, even on hot summer days.  It is a crowd-pleaser!  One of many secret tips I learned from my mom was when cooking to prepare extra.  She would cook extra sauce and eggplant patties to freeze.  It will keep frozen for about 6 months in an airtight container.  When you need an easy, tasty meal to impress, layer frozen eggplant patties into a baking dish with sauce and cheese and bake for 45 minutes!  Serve it with pasta or fresh, crisp Italian bread, and you have an easy, tasty meal to impress friends and family.  You didn’t freeze any extra sauce?  See my recipe for a Quick & Easy Marinara.

Ingredients:

Eggplant, One medium fresh 

Olive oil, extra virgin (preferred) ¼ cup

Seasoned Breadcrumbs, 2- cups

Eggs, 4-5 large eggs 

Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese, grated, about ¾ cup, divided (2 Tbsp for egg mixture; ~1/2 cup to sprinkle on sauce that covers of the eggplant slices)

Cooking Spray 

Fresh Mozzarella cheese, sliced. 

Marinara sauce*, approximately 4- 5- cups 

Equipment

1 shallow bowl

cutting board

parchment paper or aluminum foil

baking/sheet pan

9 x 11 or 12 x 13 baking pan

fork or whisk

knife

spatula

Directions: 

• • Prepare eggplant:
    •  Cut off both ends. Slice eggplant into ¼ inch thick round slices. 
    • Line inside of large colander with eggplant slices. 
    • Lightly sprinkle eggplant with salt and let sit for 8-10 minutes to release water. Then rinse eggplant, and place slices between two clean dish towels or paper towels and press out the excess moisture.
    •  [Option if you choose to skip step to salt and rinse, at least press out excess moisture]. 
  • Prepare sheet pan: 
    • Preheat oven to 400-degrees.
    • Lightly coat with cooking spray. [Note: For easier clean-up, first line baking sheet with aluminum foil before adding cooking spray.] 

• Brush both sides of eggplant slices with olive oil and place onto sheet pan.  Bake each side in oven until soft but not mushy; about 7-minutes each slide. 

• [Stove-top alternative: Heat 2 tbs. olive oil in nonstick sauté pan over medium flame. Place the oil brushed eggplant slices in hot oil and brown each side until soft.]

• Prepare eggplant with breadcrumbs and egg mixture:

• • Spread breadcrumbs evenly on a plate or parchment paper and set aside. 
  • Using a fork beat eggs with 2-tbsp grated cheese in shallow bowl and set aside.
  •  While still warm, lightly coat each side of the eggplant with breadcrumbs followed by dipping into the egg mixture, set aside. 
• Prepare Non-stick Pan for Frying:
  • Add 2-3 tbs of olive oil into pan on medium flame until hot.
  • Add the sliced eggplant (coated in breadcrumbs and egg) to hot oil and fry for about 2-3 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Remove eggplant from pan and place on paper towel to absorb excess oil.
  • [Alternative: Place coated eggplant on sheet pan sprayed with cooking oil. Bake each side for 10 minutes, or until crisp and golden brown.]
• Assemble Prepared Eggplant into Baking Dish: 
  • 1. Ladle marinara sauce into baking dish, add just enough to coat the bottom of dish. 
  • 2. Sprinkle sauce with grated cheese, about 2 tbs or as desired.
  • 3. Add prepared eggplant slices on top of the sauce. 
  • 4. Cover top of eggplant with 1-3 tbsp of marinara sauce. 
  • 5. Top each eggplant slice with one slice of mozzarella cheese, and then top with about ½ tbsp of sauce and lightly sprinkle grated cheese on top. 
  • 6. Assemble eggplant with either one or two layers per pan.
    •  For two layers, it is best to alternate placement of eggplant on the top of first row to keep cheese intact on top of each slice. Once the first layer is complete, place eggplant slice over the middle empty space between the four bottom slices. Then repeat the above sequence of adding sauce, grated cheese, mozzarella, sauce, and grated cheese.
• Place in oven at 350 degrees and cook until cheese melts and sauce bubbles.