Eggplant isn’t the most exciting vegetable, but if cooked right, it can be downright delicious. While I love eggplant cooked almost anyway, there’s no doubt that eggplant is best served up Parmesan style — that is coated in breadcrumbs, fried to a crisp and then coated with marinara and cheese. Not the healthiest, but definitely delicious.
My version is pretty standard, but there is one step that makes a huge difference, and I use this step on a lot of veggies. That step is sprinkling with salt before cooking it. Salt draws the moisture out of the eggplant, which is why it is often a soggy mess. This way, you end up with something more on the meaty side, which, in my opinion is how it should be.
The other difference here is that instead of olive oil, I fried the eggplant slices in Ava Jane’s Kitchen Avocado Oil. It has a higher smoke point, and is perfect for frying, so you get firm and crispy eggplant slices without smoking up your house. While I am all for making a marinara sauce from scratch, sometimes a jarred version is just as good, so feel free to use whatever you like.
Serve with your favorite pasta for a traditional route, but it’s also delicious with rice, or other grains.
Serves 4
Prep time: 45 minutes
Ingredients:
1 large eggplant, sliced into 1/2 inch thick rounds
2 eggs
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup Ava Jane’s Kitchen Avocado Oil
3 cups prepared marinara sauce
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
Chopped fresh basil
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Lay the eggplants on paper towels and sprinkle with salt. Let stand for about 15 minutes.
In the meantime, beat the eggs well, and mix the breadcrumbs with the Parmesan. Dry the eggplant slices as well as you can.
Coat the eggplant with the eggs, followed by the breadcrumbs. Heat the avocado oil in a heavy skillet and fry the eggplant slices until golden brown. Transfer to a casserole dish.
Pour the sauce over the eggplant and top with the cheese. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until cheese is bubbly.
Easy to download PDF: Eggplant Parmesan