Ingredients
- 2 & 1/4 lbs eggplants
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- a clove of garlic, I like at least 3, mince
- 3 & 1/2 cups or a 28-oz can whole peeled tomatoes
- 1/2 cup of minced fresh basil
- Sea salt to taste
- ground black pepper to taste
- 1 & 1/2 cups breadcrumbs
- divide in half, 1 & 1/4 cups grated Parmesan cheese
- 3/4 cup flour
- 4 eggs, beaten, have more on hand if needed
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- parchment paper for baking breaded eggplant
- 1 & 1/2 pounds of mozzarella, shredded
The basil, tomatoes, and eggplants were from my garden and the eggs were from my backyard chickens! I also made some squash soup with ham, I'll post that recipe another time.
Do this first: Cut eggplant 1/4 inch thick, salt lightly on both sides, set on racks to drain. I put a towel under the cookie cooling racks I use to drain the salted eggplant rounds. Let sit for 2.5 hours. Salting will wick the moisture out and keep the eggplant form getting too soggy. Start working on the other levels of this dish while the eggplant lets go of some moisture.
I use my own baked bread for bread crumbs
Bake for 20 minutes or until completely dry in a 350 degree oven
Blend into cumbs
Put aside until later
Drain off extra tomato juice and place tomatoes in blender, skin garlic and place in blender, add salt, pepper, blend well. Pour in sauce pan on medium heat, cook until the sauce starts boiling, turn down to low heat and simmer for 15 minutes. I use a food processor to mince my basil with 1/4 of olive oil, add to your tomato sauce after you remove from heat.
Make breadcrumb Parmesan mixture
Preheat your oven to 425F. You'll need three bowls big enough to hold the flour, breadcrumbs/cheese, and beaten eggs. Mix the grated parmesan cheese into your bread crumbs. First bowl will be for your flour, second-beaten eggs, third-breadcrumb-cheese mixture.
Dry off your sliced eggplants, don't worry they won't be too salty after wiping the moister away. I usually just lay them on a towel and turn them. That's easer than wiping off each individual slice.
Press your eggplant slices into the flour, dip in eggs, dip in breadcrumbs/cheese mixture, lay on parchment covered cookie sheets.
Bake breaded eggplant at 425F for 20 minutes, turning eggplants 10 minutes into the 20 minute time period. Let cool enough to pick up, this will keep the eggplant from getting to soggy when you finally get to put the casserole together!
Cover bottom of the baking dish with 1/2 a cup of tomato sauce, lay down your first layer of eggplant, sprinkle with cheese.
Sprinkle shredded mozzarella on top of the eggplant, the more the merrier, do the same with the parmesan cheese. Build up your layers until you run out of ingredients.
Enjoy
Hopefully you heated your oven to 350F so you won't have to wait for the thing to heat up. Bake without a cover for 40 minutes, remove from oven and let sit for 10 more minutes before serving.