Growing up I never was able to indulge in eggplant parmesan. Actually, the first time I ever ate eggplant was about five years ago. I wanted a healthier alternative to lasagna, and eggplant parm was the only thing that came to mind. I began researching all the different ways to prepare the dish and realized one thing, there is a secret!
Many people who try eggplant think that it has a bitter, mushy consistency. There is a secret to how to prepare the eggplant to rid of the bad taste and bring in the flavor! When choosing an eggplant for this dish be sure to pick a large eggplant or buy a few smaller ones.
Ingredients needed..
2 eggplants
2 cups breadcrumbs
1 jar of pasta sauce
1 cup parmesan cheese
1 cup mozzarella cheese
3 eggs
Basil
Preparing the eggplant.. the secret!
Cut the eggplant into even slices. Salt both sides and put in a colander. Let the eggplant sit for thirty minutes. I know this may seem tedious, however, once the thirty minutes is up there will be a large amount of liquid that drained from the eggplant. This liquid is what causes the eggplant to have such a bitter taste. After the eggplant has sat, be sure to rinse the pieces. Finally, dry off the pieces with a paper towel, this allows the breadcrumbs to stick better.
Let's begin..
1. Dip the eggplant slice into the egg on both sides
2. Toss the eggplant slice into the breadcrumbs (I use a Tupperware container filled with breadcrumbs and lightly shake the container to cover the slice. This allows your hands to stay clean and cover the slice completely)
3. Repeat steps 1 and 2
4. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for five minutes on each side
Construction..
1. Lightly sauce the bottom of a 9"x13" baking dish (If you choose to only use one eggplant a 9"x9" casserole dish works fine)
2. Place the eggplant slices on the bottom of the pan not overlapping
3. Cover the slices with sauce
4. Put a heaping layer of mozzarella cheese on top of the slices
5. Sprinkle parmesan to top it off
6. Season with basil
7. Repeat steps 2-5 untill all the eggplant is used
Baking..
1. Place the dish into a preheated 350 degree oven
2. Bake for 35 minutes
3. Let the eggplant sit for five minutes to rest
I hope you love this delicious recipe! I always try to make my tutorials as easy as possible to follow and try. If you have ANY comments or advice please email me. Thank you so much for reading and enjoy your eggplant parmesan!
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Also you can find a short tutorial on YouTube and Instagram!