Baked Eggplant Italiano Recipes

ITALIAN BAKED EGGPLANT WITH PARMESAN (PARMIGIANA DI MELANZANE)

Steps:

• Place a single layer of eggplant slices in a colander sitting on a plate and sprinkle with coarse salt. Cover with a second layer and sprinkle with salt. Repeat with remaining eggplant. Place a plate on top and add a weight to put pressure on the eggplant slices. Let stand at room temperature for about 1 hour.
• Rinse eggplant slices under running cold water to wash off all the salt. Pat dry on all sides with paper towels.
• Heat oil in a deep skillet over medium-high heat. Dredge eggplant slices in flour on both sides and add to the hot oil, working in batches. Deep fry eggplant until golden, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels.
• Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat; cook garlic and onion until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add tomato puree, 4 basil leaves, and salt. Cook, stirring often, until sauce starts to thicken, about 20 minutes. Remove sauce from heat. Discard garlic and stir in remaining 4 leaves basil.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Spread a layer of tomato sauce over the bottom of a baking dish. Cover with a single layer of eggplant slices. Top with more sauce, mozzarella slices, and Parmesan cheese. Continue making layers, a total of 3 to 5, finishing with tomato sauce and grated Parmesan cheese.
• Bake in the preheated oven until heated through and bubbling, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand for 20 minutes before serving.

ITALIAN EGGPLANT TOMATO BAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• In a plastic bag, combine the flour, bread crumbs and Italian seasoning. Shake to mix. In a shallow bowl, whisk together the eggs and water. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. There should be enough oil to thinly coat the bottom of the skillet. Dip the eggplant slices in egg, then place in the bag and shake to coat. Fry the slices in the skillet until golden brown on each side. Remove, and drain on paper towels.
• Spread a thin layer of spaghetti sauce in the bottom of a 9 inch square baking dish. Cover with the eggplant slices, then top with more sauce. Mix together the ricotta cheese and Parmesan cheese; spread over the eggplant. Spread sauce over the cheese, and top with tomato slices. Cover with more sauce, and spread remaining cheese over the top.
• Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbling.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the pasta, and cook for about 3 minutes, or until tender. Drain. Serve the eggplant tomato bake over pasta.

BAKED EGGPLANT ITALIANO

Steps:

• Brush both sides of eggplant slices with 2 tablespoons oil; sprinkle with garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Grill, covered, over medium heat or broil 4-6 in. from the heat for 2-3 minutes on each side. Set aside., In a large skillet, saute the tomatoes, onion, Italian seasoning, and remaining salt and pepper in remaining oil. Add spinach; cook 1 minute longer. Add spinach; stir until wilted. Combine the ricotta, 1/2 cup mozzarella and egg; stir into tomato mixture., Arrange eggplant in a single layer in a 13x9-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Top with tomato mixture and pasta sauce. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella. , Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until bubbly. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

BAKED EGGPLANT (AUBERGINE) ITALIANO

Steps:

• Preheat the broiler.
• Slice the eggplant thinly, place on a baking sheet, and brush both sides with olive oil.
• Broil until lightly browned, turning once, about 7 minutes per side.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Coat a 9x13-inch pan with cooking spray. Alternate layers of eggplant, garlic, basil, several spoonfuls of tomato sauce, mozzarella, adding pepper to taste. Repeat until all the ingredients have been used. Top with parmesan cheese.
• Bake for about 30 minutes until bubbly and light browned.