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Real Recipes From Real Home Cooks ®

real deal eggplant parmesan

(2 ratings)
methodmaven avatar
Recipe by
Tam D
@methodmaven
The Dalles, OR

This is my own recipe, which I finally wrote down because my children nag me ;D It's not as tricky as it may seem -- it's really very easy, and your efforts will be rewarded. There's no frying! The original dish is actually named "Parmigiana", for the Sicilian method of lattice, called "parmiciana".

►
(2 ratings)
yield 6 -8
prep time 30 Min
cook time 50 Min
method Bake

Ingredients For real deal eggplant parmesan

  • 2 lg
    eggplant
  • 2 Tbsp
    olive oil
  • 1 lb
    pecorino cheese, sliced or shredded
  • 1 c
    grated parmesan cheese
  • DIP
  • 3
    eggs
  • 2-4 Tbsp
    milk or water
  • DREDGE
  • 1 c
    flour
  • 3 Tbsp
    dried oregano, crushed
  • 2 tsp
    salt
  • 1/2 tsp
    pepper
  • COAT
  • 1 c
    italian seasoned breadcrumbs
  • SAUCE
  • 32 oz can
    crushed or diced tomatoes
  • 2 Tbsp
    dried oregano, crushed
  • 1 tsp
    dried basil, crushed
  • 1 Tbsp
    dehydrated onion flakes
  • 1 tsp
    dehydrated minced garlic
  • 2-4 Tbsp
    burgundy wine

How To Make real deal eggplant parmesan

  • 1
    Prepare a large baking sheet with food release spray.
  • 2
    Cut eggplant, crosswise, into 1/4-1/2 inch slices. Arrange the slices on the baking sheet. Brush or spray the slices with the olive oil.
  • 3
    Bake eggplant slices at 450 degrees for 10 minutes. While the eggplant is baking prepare the dip, dredge, and coat mixtures, and the sauce.
  • 4
    DIP: Beat the eggs with the milk or water. Set aside in a shallow bowl or dish. DREDGE: Mix the flour with the 3T of oregano, salt and pepper. Set aside in a shallow bowl or dish. COATING: Place the breadcrumbs in a shallow bowl or dish. Set aside.
  • 5
    SAUCE: Put tomatoes, 2T of oregano, basil, onion, garlic, and wine in pitcher of the blender, and pulse until combined.
  • 6
    Prepare a 9x13 baking dish with food release spray. Spread a thin layer of the tomato sauce in the bottom of the baking dish.
  • 7
    Dip the eggplant slices, one at a time, into the egg mixture, then dredge in the flour mixture. Dip again into the egg mixture and then coat with the breadcrumbs. Layer half of the eggplant slices in the baking dish.
  • 8
    On top of prepared eggplant slices, layer half the pecorino and sprinkle with 1/3 cup of parmesan. Make a second layer, beginning with more eggplant slices, then remaining pecorino, and another 1/3 cup of parmesan.
  • 9
    Pour the remaining tomato sauce over the top to cover. Combine the remaining 1/3 cup of parmesan with any remaining breadcrumbs, and sprinkle over the top.
  • 10
    Bake 40 minutes at 375 degrees. Allow to rest 10 minutes before serving.
  • 11
    NOTE: 1) If possible, try to select eggplant as evenly shaped as possible -- not too much wider at one end than the other. 2) Pecorino is the original cheese, but mozzarella works, too. 3) I used almond meal/flour in place of all purpose flour, to make this recipe Paleo friendly -- it worked perfectly! You can leave off the cheeses, or if you don't mind "coloring outside the lines" a bit, try using a little goat cheese to replace the pecorino, and leave off the parmesan. 4) If you prefer, you can slice the eggplant lengthwise, then layer the planks in the opposite direction on the second layer. Crushing the dried herbs in your hand before putting them into the recipe helps release their wonderful flavor and aroma.
  • Last Step: Don't forget to share! Make all your friends drool by posting a picture of your finished recipe on your favorite social network. And don't forget to tag Just A Pinch and include #justapinchrecipes so we can see it too!
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