A Little Time and a Keyboard: Eggplant Parmesan: A Tasty Meatless Option!

Eggplant Parmesan: A Tasty Meatless Option!

Thursday, May 24, 2012

One really easy option for a tasty, meatless meal is Eggplant Parmesan. I have been using one recipe for years and it is yummy every time! My husband loves the sauce so much that I make a bunch extra!

Eggplant after being in the oven.
Ingredients:

1 eggplant, sliced
1-2 egg whites, depending on size of eggplant
dried bread crumbs (preferably Italian, but if you don't have Italian you can just mix in a little oregano and basil to make plain bread crumbs tasty!)
2 Tbsps olive oil
2 6 oz cans tomato paste
6 oz water
6 oz red wine
1-2 tsps dried oregano
1-2 tsps dried basil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
salt & pepper to taste
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
grated Parmesan



Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray baking sheet with nonstick spray. Cut eggplant into 1/2 inch thick slices. Separate egg and beat white lightly with fork. (I usually don't separate a second egg unless I have more eggplant to bread. You can also add a little milk, but I usually don't.) Dip each slice into the egg. Then, cover with bread crumbs and place on baking sheet. Once you have all of the eggplant breaded, drizzle each slice with a little bit of oil. Put the sheet into the oven. Bake for about 15 minutes (keep a watch around the 10 minute mark just in case, depending on thickness of eggplant). Slices will be a light, golden brown. Then, pull out baking sheet and flip over eggplant. Drizzle each piece with a little more oil. Put back in oven for about another 15 minutes.  The slices should be golden brown on both sides. Remove from oven.


To make the sauce, put tomato paste, red wine, and water into a saucepan. Put on medium heat and mix together. Add oregano, basil, and garlic. You can also add some salt & pepper to taste. I also added some fresh rosemary the other day. Once it is mixed together and has simmered for a few minutes, turn off the heat. This recipe will yield a ton of sauce. You will have more than you need for the eggplant and some left over for pasta!

Once you have made the sauce, you are ready to assemble your Eggplant Parmesan! Take out a baking dish and put the eggplant slices down in one layer. (I usually use a big lasagna pan for this. Sometimes, I need another pan for overflow.) Then, spoon some sauce on each slice. Then, add some mozzarella cheese. I try to add the cheese to each slice individually so I don't add a huge amount.  Then, sprinkle with some Parmesan cheese.

Put the baking dish into the oven and continue to cook for another 20 minutes. I usually pull it out when the cheese is melted and a tiny bit golden.

2 comments

  1. one of our fav's! Thank you for sharing at the Thursday Favorite Things blog hop Big Hugs xo

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  2. Thanks for linking this in to Food on Friday, Mel. Have a good one.

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