This is our basic family recipe which is classic and delicious. Make subtle variations depending on your tastes and use different oils to fry the eggplant.
Ingredients:
- 2 large globe eggplants sliced in to 1/2″ thick slices
- 2 cups of bread crumbs
- 1 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
- 3 cups grated mozzarella
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- salt & pepper to taste
- enough Fresh Harvest extra virgin olive oil to pan fry the eggplant
The Sauce:
- 3 cups canned or fresh crushed tomatoes (We use organic Italian tomatoes)
- 1 large white onion diced fine
- 1 large bunch fresh basil
- 2 tsp. dried oregano or several sprigs of fresh oregano leaves (chopped)
- 4 garlic cloves diced fine
- 1/4 cup white wine
- 1/4 cup Fresh Harvest Traditional Balsamic
- 3 tablespoons Fresh Harvest extra virgin olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
Sauce Instructions
Start by making the sauce. Heat three tablespoons of olive oil in a sauce pan over medium heat. Sauté the onion until translucent. Add the garlic and sauté for another minute without letting it brown. Pour in the wine and allow to reduce for a minute. Add the tomatoes, half of the basil leaves torn or roughly cut in to pieces, the oregano, the Fresh Harvest Traditional balsamic and season with salt and pepper to taste. You will use less salt than you might think due to the acidity in the balsamic and wine. Allow the sauce to simmer gently over low heat until nicely thickened. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Add the rest of the basil leaves to the sauce just before assembling.
Eggplant Instructions
While the sauce is simmering, salt the eggplant slices and put in a colander in the sink for 20 minutes. Pat the slices dry. In a wide bowl, mix the flour with 1 teaspoon of salt and fresh pepper to taste. In a separate wide bowl mix the bread crumbs with Parmesan cheese and another teaspoon of salt and pepper to taste.
Whisk the eggs together in a third, wide bowl. Heat about a 1/4″ of olive oil in a large frying pan over medium high heat. First dredge the eggplant into the flour, then dip in to eggs, then dip in to bread crumbs being sure to coat thoroughly each time. Once battered, let the eggplant rest for a few minutes. Preheat the oven to 400.
Without overcrowding the pan, fry the eggplant slices until golden brown on both sides set aside on paper towels until all slices are browned. Lightly grease a a 13″x9″ baking pan and ladle 1 cup of sauce in to the bottom layer eggplant slices in the bottom without overlapping. Ladle another cup of sauce on top and sprinkle with 1 cup of Mozzarella. Repeat the layers 2-3 times, ending with mozzarella on top. Bake for 25-30 minutes until bubbling and golden. Serves 6.
