Baked Three Cheese Eggplant Recipes

BAKED EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Prepare a baking dish with non-stick play.
• Arrange eggplant and tomato slices into the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Drizzle olive oil over the vegetables; season with oregano, salt, and pepper. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the entire mixture.
• Bake in preheated oven until the cheese is beginning to brown, about 30 minutes. Switch oven broiler to high; continue baking until completely browned, about 5 minutes.

CHEESY EGGPLANT AND RIGATONI BAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375 degrees. Cook rigatoni according to package instructions but keep it slightly more al dente. Reserve 1 1/2 cups pasta cooking water, then drain and rinse pasta under cold water, and transfer to a large bowl while you cook the eggplant.
• Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large, oven-proof skillet over medium. Add half the eggplant, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring, until golden brown on all sides, 9 to 10 minutes. Transfer to the bowl with the rigatoni. Repeat with 2 tablespoons olive oil and remaining eggplant and transfer to the bowl.
• Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in the skillet over medium. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in red-pepper flakes and season with salt and pepper. Add tomatoes and their juices, crushing the tomatoes with your hands as you add them. Cook until the tomatoes are very soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the reserved pasta cooking water, adding up to 1 1/2 cups as needed to create a silky sauce.
• If the skillet is large enough, add the rigatoni and eggplant mixture, Parmesan, 1 cup mozzarella and 1 cup basil and toss to coat. Otherwise, add the tomato sauce, Parmesan, 1 cup mozzarella and 1 cup basil to the large bowl with the rigatoni and eggplant, toss to coat and then return to the skillet or transfer to a greased baking dish.
• Top with remaining 3 cups mozzarella and bake until the sauce is bubbling on the sides and the cheese is melted, about 25 minutes. Top with grated ricotta salata and torn fresh basil to serve.

CHEESY BAKED EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Brush eggplant slices with olive oil on both sides, and place them on a baking sheet. Sprinkle garlic powder over the top. Bake for 10 minutes.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, tomatoes and spinach. Cook and stir for a few minutes until fragrant, and the tomatoes have released their juices. In a medium bowl, mix together 1/2 cup of ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese, and 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese. Set aside.
• Place the eggplant slices in a greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Top with the spinach mixture. Spoon the cheese mixture over the spinach, and spread into a thin layer. Pour the spaghetti sauce over the cheese layer. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese over the top. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning.
• Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until heated through and the eggplant is easily pierced with a fork.

CHEESY EGGPLANT BAKE

Steps:

• Cut eggplant into 1/4-in.-thick slices. Place in a colander over a plate; sprinkle with salt. Let stand for 30 minutes. Rinse under cold water and pat dry with paper towels. , In a shallow bowl, combine the bread crumbs, garlic salt and pepper. In another shallow bowl, beat eggs. Dip eggplant into eggs, then coat with crumb mixture., In a large skillet, cook eggplant in 2 tablespoons oil for 2 minutes on each side or until lightly browned. Transfer to an ungreased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. In the same skillet, saute the green pepper, onion and mushrooms in remaining oil for 5 minutes or until pepper and onion are crisp-tender. Sprinkle over eggplant. Top with tomatoes. , Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 25 minutes. Place cheese slices over the top. Bake 25-30 minutes longer or until cheese is lightly browned.

BAKED EGGPLANT WITH TOMATO SAUCE AND THREE CHEESES

Steps:

• Preheat oven at 425°F.
• Cut off both ends of the eggplants and cut into 24 slices, about 1-inch thick each.
• Coat 2 sheet pans lightly with spray olive oil and place the eggplant slices on the oiled sheet pans along with the bell pepper halves and spray the vegetables with olive oil.
• Bake in the oven for 25 minutes, turning halfway through the baking.
• Dice the bell peppers and set aside.
• In a medium saucepan, over moderate heat, in 2 tablespoons of the oil cook half the onion until softened.
• Add half the garlic and flour and cook for another minute, stirring constantly.
• Add the milk in 3 additions stirring the sauce until smooth with the each addition.
• Add the cayenne, season with salt and pepper, and cook for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally and set aside to cool.
• Meanwhile, in another saucepan, over medium heat, cook the remaining onion in 2 tablespoons of the remaining olive oil until softened.
• Add the diced bell pepper and cook for another minute, stirring frequently. Add the remaining garlic, the crushed tomatoes and simmer for 10 minutes.
• Stir in the basil and simmer another 2 minutes, (you will have about 3 1/2 cups tomato sauce), set aside.
• Mix the ricotta cheese with 3 tablespoons of the cooled white sauce along with the parmesan, egg yolk, the remaining cayenne and salt and pepper to taste.
• TO ASSEMBLE:
• Coat the interior of a 2-quart baking dish with half the remaining olive oil. Spread tomato sauce over the bottom of the baking dish. Place half of the eggplant slices in a single layer over the tomato sauce.
• Season lightly with salt and pepper to taste. Place 5 tablespoons of the ricotta mixture on each eggplant slice, and spoon white sauce over ricotta mixture.
• Top with remaining eggplant slices. Season with more salt and pepper and drizzle with remaining olive oil. Spoon remaining tomato sauce over each eggplant slice, and top each one with mozzarella.
• Bake at 375F for 30 minutes.

BAKED EGGPLANT PARMESAN

Steps:

• Place eggplant slices in a colander; sprinkle both sides of each slice with salt. Allow to sit for at least 3 hours. Wipe excess moisture from eggplant slices with paper towels.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a baking sheet.
• Mix bread crumbs and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese together in a bowl.
• Dip eggplant slices in beaten egg; coat with bread crumb mixture. Arrange coated eggplant slices in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven until lightly browned and crisp, about 5 minutes per side.
• Cover the bottom of a 9x13-inch casserole dish with a layer of spaghetti sauce; top with a layer of eggplant slices. Sprinkle with about 1 tablespoon of the remaining Parmesan cheese and 1/3 the mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers with remaining ingredients, ending with a cheese layer. Sprinkle with basil.
• Bake in the preheated oven until cheese is bubbling and golden brown, about 35 minutes.