Eggplant Parmesan

Ingredients

2 medium-sized eggplants
48 oz of whole, peeled tomatoes
8 oz Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
2 large eggs
3-4 Tbsp of all-purpose flour
1 medium-sized cooking onion
8 cloves of garlic
Extra virgin olive oil
1 c. Fresh parmesan cheese
1 c. Fresh mozzarella cheese
1 c. Fresh Romano & Asiago cheese (optional)
1 Tbsp. Fresh or dried oregano leaves
1 Tbsp. Fresh or dried basil leaves
1 Tbsp. Fresh or dried Italian parsley
Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions

Cooking the eggplant

Place flour, whipped eggs, and breadcrumbs in three separate bowls.

Dip the eggplant in the flour, then the egg, then the breadcrumbs.  Make sure to let any excess egg drip off before moving to the breadcrumb bowl. 

Coat the bottom of a large skillet with olive oil.  When the oil is hot, fry the breaded eggplant slices over medium-high heat until they are crispy and brown on both sides.  You’ll need fry a single layer of eggplant at a time, so you may have to divide the eggplant into batches.

Place fried eggplant slices on a paper towel to cool and remove excess olive oil.

Making the sauce

Place the tomatoes in a food processor and grind until they have a course consistency.  The tomatoes should be neither completely smooth or chunky.

Finely mince the onion and garlic.  Heat olive oil in the bottom of a pot and sauté the onions and garlic over medium heat until lightly browned.

Add the processed tomatoes and reduce heat. Add salt, pepper, oregano, basil and parsley.

Let sauce simmer for 25-35 minutes.

Putting it all together

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Coat the bottom of a large casserole dish with sauce. Layer fried eggplant slices and spoon the rest of the sauce over them.

Top with grated mozzarella, parmesan, romano, and asiago cheeses.

Bake for 30 minutes or until cheese is browned and bubbling. Take out, let cool for 10 minutes, and sprinkle some parsley on top as a garnish.