Many balk at the thought of eggplant...yep, me too...until I decided to suck it up and try something different...you never know. So, I did make this one night and man was I surprised! It was really very good! So be a little brave, surprise your family...don't even say what you're making, I bet they actually like it. And for those of you who love eggplant, this is a killer dish. And filling! Serve with a nice green salad for bonus veggies and some crusty bread.
*Tip- this takes a bit of time to assemble, so if you don't have day time to prep (and I know most of you don't) save this for a nice weekend meal.
*Kid Korner: let kids help out by having them dredge the eggplant pieces in the egg and Panko. They can also help layer and add sauce and cheese.
- YIELD: 10 servings (serving size: 1 slice)
- TOTAL: 1 HOURS, 45 MINUTES
- COURSE: Casseroles, Main Dishes
Ingredients
- Eggplant:
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 tablespoon water
- 2 cups whole-wheat panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
- 1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
- 2 (1-pound) eggplants, peeled and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices
- Cooking spray
- Filling:
- 1/2 cup torn fresh basil
- 1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 (16-ounce) container part-skim ricotta cheese
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- Remaining ingredients:
- 1 (24-ounce) jar premium pasta sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 8 ounces thinly sliced mozzarella cheese
- 3/4 cup (3 ounces) finely grated fontina cheese
Preparation
- 1. Preheat oven to 375°.
- 2. To make eggplant, combine 2 eggs and 1 tablespoon water in a shallow dish. Combine panko and 1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano in a second shallow dish. Dip eggplant in egg mixture; dredge in panko mixture, pressing gently to adhere and shaking off excess. Place eggplant 1 inch apart on baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 30 minutes or until golden, turning once and rotating baking sheets after 15 minutes.
- 3. To make filling, combine basil and next 6 ingredients (through egg).
- 4. To assemble, spoon 1/2 cup pasta sauce in bottom of a 13 x 9-inch glass baking dish coated with cooking spray. Layer half of eggplant slices over pasta sauce. Sprinkle eggplant with 1/8 teaspoon salt. Top with about 3/4 cup pasta sauce; spread half of ricotta mixture over sauce, and top with a third of mozzarella and 1/4 cup fontina. Repeat layers once, ending with about 1 cup pasta sauce. Cover tightly with aluminum foil coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 35 minutes. Remove foil; top with remaining third of mozzarella and 1/4 cup fontina. Bake at 375° for 10 minutes or until sauce is bubbly and cheese melts; cool 10 minutes.
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