The heavenly, salty, slightly sweet combination of rich tomato-y marinara, crispy creamy fried eggplant, and smoked mozzarella. I’d call this dish transcendent.
Ingredients
- 1 large unpeeled purple eggplant, trimmed and cut into 1/8-inch thick slices
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt, or as needed
- 2 eggs
- 1 tablespoon whole milk
- 1 cup Italian-seasoned bread crumbs, or more as needed
- ¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil, or as needed
- 1 (24 ounce) jar prepared marinara sauce (such as De Cecco®)
- 1 bunch fresh basil, coarsely chopped
- 1 (8 ounce) package smoked mozzarella cheese, very thinly sliced
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
Step 1
Line a plate with a paper towel; place a layer of 2 or 3 slices of eggplant onto the towel. Sprinkle eggplant with sea salt. Repeat layers of eggplant sprinkled with salt until all eggplant slices are stacked. Place 2 paper towels onto the stack and place a plate on top of the towels. Lay a heavy book or can of food onto the plate to squeeze out moisture. Allow to drip for 20 minutes to 2 hours. Rinse and pat dry.
Step 2
Beat eggs with milk in a shallow bowl. Place bread crumbs into a separate bowl. Dip eggplant slices in the egg mixture and gently press into the crumbs to coat; set aside.
Step 3
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease an 8×8-inch baking dish.
Step 4
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; fry eggplant slices in the hot oil in small batches until golden brown, about 1 to 2 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels.
Step 5
Pour about 1/4 cup of marinara sauce into the bottom of the prepared baking dish and arrange a layer of eggplant slices to cover the sauce. Scatter basil and a few slices of smoked mozzarella cheese over eggplant; repeat layers, ending with a layer of sauce on top. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the top.
Step 6
Bake in the preheated oven until heated through and the cheese has melted, about 15 minutes. Serve immediately.
Cook’s Note:
Let eggplant drain for at least 20 minutes; you can leave it up to 2 hours. It yields a crispy, creamy eggplant fritter, not a soggy one.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
Nutrition Facts | |
---|---|
Servings Per Recipe 5 | |
Calories 460 | |
% Daily Value * | |
Total Fat22g | 28% |
Saturated Fat9g | 45% |
Cholesterol107mg | 36% |
Sodium1582mg | 69% |
Total Carbohydrate45g | 16% |
Dietary Fiber9g | 33% |
Total Sugars16g | |
Protein21g | |
Vitamin C9mg | 44% |
Calcium215mg | 17% |
Iron8mg | 42% |
Potassium825mg | 18% |
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
**Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient.If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.
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source by allrecipe
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