In the January 2011 issue of Martha Stewart Living there is a feature article on classic parmigiana. Layers of crisp breaded eggplant, chicken, veal or even meatballs slathered in bright tomato sauce and covered with luscious melted cheese are the building blocks of these delicious and satisfying “parms”.
Although the original Melanzana alla parmigiana (eggplant parmigiana) is believed to have roots in southern Italy, where eggplant has long been a mainstay, other regions claim it as well …from the northern city of Parma (alla parmigiana means “Parma-style”) to the southern island of Sicily.
Thanks to generations of creative Italian American cooks these “parms” have evolved to become a much loved dish ingrained in the American cuisine.
I took this Eggplant Parmigiana recently to a family dinner at my sister’s home. My niece was visiting before going back to college, and being that she’s a vegetarian this was a great choice.
Eggplant Parmigiana
For Breading and Frying
2 cups fine plain fresh breadcrumbs
(Grate day-old bread against the large holes of a box grater, chop it with a bread knife or pulse pieces in a food processor. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.)
½ cup finely grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese (1 ounce)
coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 large eggplants, sliced into ¼-inch-thick rounds
¼ cup vegetable oil, plus more if needed
Note: I used Panko breadcrumbs with Italian seasoning because that’s what I had available.
For Assembling
Marinara Sauce (see recipe below)
3 cups coarsely grated mozzarella cheese(12 ounces)
¾ cup finely grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese (1 and ½ ounces)
1. Bread and fry the eggplant: Combine breadcrumbs, Pecorino romano, ½ teaspoon salt, and some pepper. Put flour, eggs, and breadcrumb mixture in 3 separate dishes. Dredge eggplant in flour, shaking off excess. Dip in egg, letting excess drip off. Dredge in breadcrumbs to coat. Let stand for 30 minutes.
2. Heat oil in large straight-sided skillet over medium-high heat. (Oil is ready when a breadcrumb sizzles when dropped in.) Working in batches, fry eggplant until golden, about 2 minutes per side.
Transfer to a paper towel-lined baking sheet. (If oil gets too dirty, discard, and heat an additional ¼ cup.)
3. Assemble the dish: Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Spread ½ cup marinara sauce in the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Arrange a layer of eggplant on top, overlapping slightly. Top with 1 cup sauce. Sprinkle with 1 cup mozzarella and ¼ cup Pecorino Romano. Repeat twice to form layers with eggplant, sauce, then cheeses.
Cover with foil. Bake until bubbling.., about 30 minutes. Uncover, and bake until cheese melts, about 5 minutes more.
Marinara Sauce
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 cans (28 ounces each) peeled whole tomatoes, pureed in a food processor
½ teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
¼ cup fresh basil, leaves torn
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
Heat oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Cook onion and garlic until soft and translucent, about 8 minutes. Add tomatoes, red-pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon salt, and some pepper. Simmer, covered, until thick, 25 minutes. Stir in herbs.
Storage Sauce can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
Note:
If fresh herbs are not available you can substitiute 1 teaspoon each of dried, or to taste.
If you don’t like your sauce to have a kick, use less red-pepper flakes.