Mamma Mia Fresh Italian Eggplant Parmigiano Recipes

Steps:

• PREP vegetables and herbs needed for the SAUTE (1 medium chopped onion, 8 ounces thinly sliced fresh mushrooms, 2/3 cup minced fresh basil leaves (reserving 1 tablespoon to refresh flavor later), 2-3 tablespoons minced fresh garlic, 3 tablespoons minced fresh Italian parsley, 2 tablespoons minced fresh oregano leaves, and 1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary leaves); SAUTE in a large saucepan or pot in 1 tablespoon olive oil, between medium-low and medium heat until softened, about 7 minutes.
• BRING 4 quarts unsalted water to boiling; CAREFULLY lower Roma tomatoes needed for recipe on a large spoon into boiling water; BLANCH until skins start to crack; REMOVE tomatoes and place into a colander; RINSE tomatoes under running cold water to remove skins; PUREE enough tomatoes to yield 3 1/4 cups; DICE remaining tomatoes to yield 3 1/4 cups; ADD both pureed and diced tomatoes to the saute mixture, along with 1/4 cup olive oil, 2-3 teaspoons ground fennel, 1/4 cup dry red wine, 2 teaspoons fine sea salt (if using fresh tomatoes), 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest, 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper and 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes; STIR in enough sugar or light corn syrup into SAUCE to balance acidity; RAISE HEAT to HIGH, stirring constantly until mixture begins to boil; REDUCE heat to MEDIUM-LOW, then SIMMER the sauce uncovered for 1 hour or slightly longer, stirring occasionally; REMOVE the SAUCE from heat; STIR in 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese and 1 tablespoon finely minced fresh basil leaves (to refresh flavor); SEASON to taste with fine sea salt if necessary.
• PREPARE the BREADCRUMBS in a large sealable container or Ziplock bag, add 2 cups panko, 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, 1 1/4 teaspoons garlic salt, 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper and 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg; seal and shake well to combine; set aside; PREHEAT oven to 375 F degrees.
• CUT eggplants into 1/8 - 1/4 inch rounds; BRUSH eggplant evenly on both sides with the BASTE mixture (1/2 cup olive oil with 1-3 freshly mashed garlic cloves); SHAKE a few basted eggplant rounds at a time in sealed container or Ziploc bag with BREADCRUMBS until very well coated; arrange in TWO greased 13 x 9 inch baking dishes; RESERVE enough of the BREADCRUMBS for the GARNISH of eggplant parmigiano later before last 15 minutes of baking.
• BAKE both baking dishes of eggplant for about 10 minutes or until lightly browned; carefully slide out oven tray(s) from oven using oven mitts; REDUCE oven temperature to 350 F degrees; TURN eggplant over using tongs or spatula; CONTINUE baking at 350 F for about 10 additional minutes or until lightly browned; REMOVE from oven; LEAVE oven ON.
• LADLE 1/3 of the SAUCE into the bottom of a 13 x 9 baking dish or casserole dish; SPRINKLE 1 tablespoon of the freshly grated parmesan cheese over the sauce; (you can use the same dish you used to bake eggplant in).
• ARRANGE 1/2 (ONE HALF) of the EGGPLANT over the SAUCE in dish, overlapping if necessary.
• POUR 1/2 (HALF) of remaining sauce over EGGPLANT.
• SPRINKLE the SAUCE with 1 tablespoon freshly grated PARMESAN cheese, followed by 8 ounces (ONE HALF POUND) grated part-skim MOZZARELLA cheese; REPEAT layers with remaining EGGPLANT, remaining SAUCE, and remaining MOZZARELLA cheese; COVER casserole with aluminum foil or casserole lid.
• BAKE in preheated 350 F degree oven for 30 minutes, then carefully slide out oven tray from oven using oven mitts; REMOVE cover from eggplant parmigiano carefully; then SPRINKLE the GARNISH (1 tablespoon freshly grated parmesan cheese, 2 teaspoons seasoned Italian breadcrumbs, 1 teaspoon finely minced fresh Italian parsley); CONTINUE to BAKE for 15 additional minutes; REMOVE from oven and allow to cool and set for 5-10 minutes, then SLICE (using a serrated knife) and SERVE (with your favorite side dishes and bread); SERVE and say, "MAMMA MIA!"!

Steps:

• Slice the eggplant into 1/2 inch round slices. Arrange the slices on a baking sheet and sprinkle generously with kosher salt on both sides. Set aside for 1 hour to let the bitter juices weep from the eggplant. Meanwhile, make the marinara sauce.
• Heat the 2 Tbs olive oil over medium-high heat. Saute the onion for 2 minutes and stir in the garlic. Saute for another minute until lightly browned. Add the can of tomatoes, a sprig of fresh basil and 1/2 Tbs of the dried thyme (or a fresh sprig of thyme if you have it). Bring the sauce to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Turn off the burner, remove the herb sprigs and leave the sauce until you are ready to assemble the casserole.
• Heat enough vegetable oil over med-high heat in a large dutch over or high-side skillet to completely cover the slices of eggplant.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
• Place the flour in a deep plate.
• Whisk the eggs with the milk in another another deep plate.
• Combine the bread crumbs, 1 tsp salt, oregano and other 1/2 Tbsp thyme and season well with black pepper in a third deep plate.
• Transfer the eggplant to a colander and rinse well with cold water. Blot the slices dry with clean kitchen towels.
• Dredge the eggplant in the flour, then dip it in the egg and finally dredge it in the breadcrumb mixture. Shake off any excess breading and lay the eggplant on a baking sheet.
• Fry the eggplant in the vegetable oil in small batches. The oil should be 400 degrees. Basically, it needs to be hot. Turn it over once during the frying process and it should be golden brown and crispy on both sides. Remove the eggplant to a baking sheet lined with paper towels. Repeat with remaining eggplant.
• Prepare a 13x9 baking dish by brushing lightly with olive oil.
• Cover the bottom of the baking dish with 1/3 of the marinara sauce. Arrange half of the eggplant over the sauce. Cover the eggplant with another 1/3 of the sauce. Scatter half of the Parmesan cheese and layer half of the mozzarella over the eggplant. Repeat with the remaining eggplant, sauce, parmesan and mozzarella.
• Bake until hot and just beginning to brown, about 30 minutes.
• Serve immediately.

Steps:

• Place a single layer of eggplant slices in a colander sitting on a plate and sprinkle with coarse salt. Cover with a second layer and sprinkle with salt. Repeat with remaining eggplant. Place a plate on top and add a weight to put pressure on the eggplant slices. Let stand at room temperature for about 1 hour.
• Rinse eggplant slices under running cold water to wash off all the salt. Pat dry on all sides with paper towels.
• Heat oil in a deep skillet over medium-high heat. Dredge eggplant slices in flour on both sides and add to the hot oil, working in batches. Deep fry eggplant until golden, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels.
• Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat; cook garlic and onion until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add tomato puree, 4 basil leaves, and salt. Cook, stirring often, until sauce starts to thicken, about 20 minutes. Remove sauce from heat. Discard garlic and stir in remaining 4 leaves basil.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Spread a layer of tomato sauce over the bottom of a baking dish. Cover with a single layer of eggplant slices. Top with more sauce, mozzarella slices, and Parmesan cheese. Continue making layers, a total of 3 to 5, finishing with tomato sauce and grated Parmesan cheese.
• Bake in the preheated oven until heated through and bubbling, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand for 20 minutes before serving.

Steps:

• Lay eggplant slices on top of paper towels and sprinkle with sea salt to draw out moisture. Cover with additional paper towels. Let sit, 8 hours to overnight.
• Place flour into a 1-gallon plastic zip-top bag. Sprinkle salt and pepper into the flour and shake the bag to mix. Place 6 eggplant slices into the bag, seal, and shake to coat.
• Beat eggs and water together using a fork in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
• Heat 2 inches of oil over medium-high heat in a 10-inch cast iron skillet. Line baking sheets with paper towels to drain eggplants after frying.
• Shake excess flour from eggplant slices and place into egg mixture, turning to ensure both sides are coated. Allow excess egg mixture to drip off before placing slices into the hot oil. Fry until slightly golden, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to the paper towel-lined baking sheets. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon Pecorino Romano cheese. Repeat process until all eggplant slices are fried. Let cool slightly, about 5 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Pour a small amount of tomato sauce into the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking pan to cover. Place 1/3 of the eggplant slices over sauce, slightly overlapping them. Sprinkle 1/3 of the remaining Pecorino-Romano cheese and Parmesan cheese evenly over the slices. Cover with a light layer of sauce. Sprinkle 1/3 of the mozzarella cheese over sauce. Repeat for a total of 3 layers.
• Bake in the preheated oven until bubbly, about 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes to set.

Steps:

• - Prepare the eggplant. Wash the eggplant and remove the top and bottom of each. Peel the eggplant lengthwise in strips, leaving some of the skin intact. Slice the eggplant lengthwise, but not too thin, as it will reduce in size once cooked. - Layer the slices of eggplant in a colander and sprinkle each layer with a pinch of salt. Let set for 15-20 minutes. This will allow the eggplant to release excess water and its bitter taste. Holding 3-4 slices at one time, gently squeeze from top to bottom to get out any excess water. Do not rinse. - Sprinkle a bit of flour onto a plate and individually dip each slice of eggplant into the flour. Do this quickly to ensure that the eggplant does not absorb too much flour. - Set out a few paper towels. Using a cast iron skillet or heavy frying pan, heat the oil over medium high heat to about 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Fry each slice of eggplant until it is lightly golden brown. Drain and transfer to paper towels to allow excess oil to be absorbed. - Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. - In a shallow baking dish, generously layer the ingredients in the following order: tomato sauce, eggplant, Parmesan, fresh mozzarella, smoked provolone, fresh basil leaves. Repeat. Repeat a third time, but leave out the mozzarella and provolone so that the dish cooks evenly without burning. Top it off with the remaining tomato sauce. - Place a baking sheet or aluminum foil in the bottom of the oven. Bake the eggplant parmigiana for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, increase the temperature to 400 degrees and bake the parmigiana for another 10 minutes. - Turn off the oven and leave the parmigiana in the oven for an additional 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and allow to set for at least 40 minutes before serving *Buy the fresh mozzarella one or two days prior to making the eggplant parmigiana. Remove the mozzarella from its water and put in the fridge to dry out.