Eggplant Parmigiana With Homemade Marinara Sauce Recipes

SICILIAN EGGPLANT PARMIGIANA WITH HOMEMADE MARINARA SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in heavy pan (like cast iron) and saute onions until tender, about 4 minutes.
• Add garlic and continue to cook for another 1-2 minutes, making sure to not burn.
• Add a little of the puree from the canned tomatoes and let sizzle for a couple minutes to help all the flavors from the pan start to come together.
• Add the remaining puree and tomatoes, then the salt, pepper, oregano, basil and parsley, and let cook for about 10 minutes, turning the whole tomatoes at least once.
• With a fork or masher, gently crush the tomatoes until there are no more big chunks remaining. Taste and add additional seasoning, if needed, and continue to cook for another 10 minutes. Set aside.
• Heat oven to 375° F.
• With sharp knife, cut the top and bottom of both eggplants. Then slice in half, vertically. Holding one half of the eggplant upright, - carefully cut thin vertical slices, about 1/4 inch thick.
• Salt both sides of the eggplant slices and lay flat on a cookie sheet lined with paper towels. Cover with another layer of paper towels and then lay something heavy on top (like a rectangular casserole dish) and let sit for one hour. This helps to extract some of the water.Note: This step can be skipped, but I do find it removes some of the bitter taste and helps the eggplant to absorb less oil when frying.
• For breaded slices, dip both sides of eggplant slices in flour, then dip in egg mixture, and then fully coat in bread crumbs. Brown each side and place on paper towel. Repeat steps until remaining slices are cooked. For the non-breaded version:Heat fry pan to medium; add olive oil to cover the bottom. Once hot, carefully add a few eggplant slices at a time (don't overlap) and fry until medium-golden brown (just a couple minutes). Turn over and do the same on the other side. Remove the eggplant and lay flat on a paper towel. Repeat until one of the eggplants (or half of the eggplant slices) is fried. Note: The slices cook fast, and they absorb a lot of olive oil. This is to be expected.
• In 9 1/2-inch baking dish, add marinara sauce to lightly cover the bottom. Add a layer of eggplant, and then sprinkle with grated Pecorino. Add a layer of mozzarella cheese, dollop sauce over the cheese and repeat this layering a few times.
• After the third layer add sliced hard-boiled eggs. This step is optional, but I highly recommend it. Continue with alternating layers of eggplant, sauce, cheese, finishing with sauce, cheese and a parsley garnish.
• Bake in oven at 375° for about 35 minutes until the top layer of cheese is golden brown and the top is bubbling. Let rest about 10 minutes before serving.

EGGPLANT PARMIGIANA

Steps:

• Place eggplant in a colander; sprinkle with salt. Let stand for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute the onions, basil, bay leaves, oregano and thyme in oil until onions are tender. , Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, honey and lemon-pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Add garlic; simmer 10 minutes longer. Discard bay leaves., Rinse eggplant slices; pat dry with paper towels. In a shallow bowl, combine eggs and pepper; place bread crumbs in another shallow bowl. Dip eggplant into eggs, then coat with crumbs. Let stand for 5 minutes., In a large skillet, cook half of the eggplant in 2 tablespoons butter for 3 minutes on each side or until lightly browned. Repeat with remaining eggplant and butter. , In each of two greased 11x7-in. baking dishes, layer half of each of the eggplant, tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 375° for 35 minutes or until a thermometer reads 160°.

EGGPLANT PARMIGIANA WITH HOMEMADE MARINARA SAUCE

Steps:

• Bread and fry the eggplant: Combine breadcrumbs, pecorino Romano, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and some pepper. Put flour, eggs, and breadcrumb mixture in 3 separate dishes. Dredge eggplant in flour, shaking off excess. Dip in egg, letting excess drip off. Dredge in breadcrumbs to coat. Let stand for 30 minutes.
• Heat oil in large straight-sided skillet over medium-high heat. (Oil is ready when a breadcrumb sizzles when dropped in.) Working in batches, fry eggplant until golden, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined baking sheet. (If oil gets too dirty, discard, and heat an additional 1/4 cup.)
• Assemble the dish: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spread 1/2 cup marinara sauce in the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Arrange a layer of eggplant on top, overlapping slightly. Top with 1 cup sauce. Sprinkle with 1 cup mozzarella and 1/4 cup pecorino Romano. Repeat twice to form layers with eggplant, sauce, then cheeses. Cover with foil. Bake until bubbling, about 30 minutes. Uncover, and bake until cheese melts, about 5 minutes more.

EGGPLANT MEATBALLS WITH MARINARA SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and place the eggplant on top. Use a fork to prick the eggplant 4 times, then place the eggplant in the oven and roast it until it has completely collapsed and a paring knife easily slips into the center, 40 to 50 minutes. Cool the eggplant 20 minutes. Leave the oven on.
• Slice the eggplant in half lengthwise and use a spoon to scoop out the flesh (discard the skin). Place the roasted eggplant in a medium bowl and stir in the egg and beans. Add the garlic, basil, parmesan, 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and stir to combine, then mix in the breadcrumbs.
• Again, line the rimmed baking sheet with a clean sheet of foil and lightly mist it with spray. Shape the eggplant mixture into balls about the size of a golf ball (2 tablespoons per ball; you should get about 16). Place them on the prepared baking sheet and lightly mist the top of the balls with spray. Bake the eggplant balls until they are golden brown and firm, about 20 minutes.
• While the meatballs cook, warm the marinara sauce in a small saucepan. Remove the meatballs from the oven, sprinkle with a little extra parmesan and serve with the marinara sauce.

EGGPLANT PARMESAN

Steps:

• Arrange the eggplant slices on several baking sheets and sprinkle generously all over with kosher salt. Set aside to let the bitter juices weep from the eggplant, about 1 hour.
• Transfer the eggplant to a colander in the sink, and rinse well under cold running water. Transfer eggplant to a work surface and blot very dry with paper towels.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, breadcrumbs, oregano, thyme, and season with pepper.
• Place the flour in a medium lipped plate or bowl. In another medium bowl, whisk the egg and milk together. Dredge an eggplant slice in the flour, then dip it in the egg, and finally dredge it in the breadcrumb mixture. Shake off any excess breading and transfer the eggplant to a baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining eggplant.
• In a large straight-sided skillet, pour the oil to a depth of 1/2 inch. Heat the oil over medium heat until it registers 400 degrees F on a deep frying thermometer. (The oil must be heated to 400 degrees F. so that the breaded eggplant, when added, will drop the temperature of the oil to the proper frying temperature of 375 degrees F.)
• Working in small batches, fry the eggplant slices, turning once, until golden brown, about 3 minutes per batch. Using tongs, transfer to a paper towel-lined baking sheet and season with salt to taste. Repeat with the remaining eggplant.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly brush a 15 x 10- x 2-inch-baking dish with olive oil. Cover the bottom of the baking dish with 1/3 of the marinara sauce and arrange half of the eggplant over the sauce. Cover the eggplant with another 1/3 of the sauce. Scatter half of the Parmesan and half of the mozzarella over the sauced eggplant. Repeat with the remaining eggplant, sauce, Parmesan, and mozzarella. Bake until hot and just beginning to brown, about 30 minutes. Serve immediately.
• Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Saute the onion and garlic, stirring, until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and the herb sprigs and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.
• Remove and discard the herb sprigs. Stir in the salt and season with pepper to taste. Use immediately, store covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 2 months.
• Yield: about 3 1/2 cups
• Copyright 2001 Television Food Network, G.P. All rights reserved

EGGPLANT-PARMESAN SAUCE

Steps:

• Soak 1 pound cubed eggplant in warm salted water, about 15 minutes, then drain and squeeze dry. Season 1 cup flour with salt and pepper in a bowl. Beat 2 eggs with 1/2 cup milk in another bowl. Mix 1 1/2 cups flour and 1/2 cup grated parmesan in a third bowl. Dip the eggplant in the seasoned flour, the egg and then the flour-cheese mixture. Fry in 1/4 inch olive oil over medium-high heat until golden; drain on paper towels. Mix with 4 cups Perfect Marinara Sauce, recipe follows. Toss with rigatoni.
• Combine 3 tablespoons olive oil, 6 thinly sliced garlic cloves and a pinch of red pepper flakes in a large skillet and cook over medium-low heat until the garlic is golden, about 6 minutes. Crush a 28-ounce can of San Marzano plum tomatoes into the skillet with your hands; rinse the can with about 1 cup water and add to the sauce. Add a handful of torn basil leaves and season with salt. Increase the heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, until thick, 20 to 25 minutes. Toss with 1 pound cooked pasta (makes 4 cups sauce).