Eggplant Parmesan

    [[ recipeID=recipe-2mb05zizj, title=RECIPE ]]

    RECIPE

    This dish is pure Italian comfort: layered, nostalgic, and just the right amount of indulgent. Founder, Freddie Cipoletti, grew up with versions of this on Sunday tables, bubbling out of casserole dishes and served with crusty bread to soak up every last bit of sauce. This take is a love letter to the classics: thinly sliced, golden-fried eggplant, a bright homemade marinara, and plenty of melted mozzarella and Parm. No shortcuts, no skipping the salting step, just the kind of meal that brings everyone to the table and keeps them there. Serve it family-style, with good wine and even better company.

    Servings: 6

    Ingredients

    Instructions

    Ingredients

    For the Eggplant Parmesan

    • 3 large eggplants
    • 1 ball of mozzarella
    • 2 cups ricotta cheese
    • ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
    • Fresh basil for garnish

    For the Tomato Sauce

    • 28 oz crushed tomatoes
    • 3 oz tomato paste
    • 6 tbsp Cucina Cipoletti Extra Virgin Olive Oil
    • 1 medium onion
    • 6 garlic cloves
    • 1 tbsp dried oregano
    • 3 bay leaves
    • 4 tbsp salt
    • 1 tbsp chili flakes

    Instructions

    1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
    2. For sauce, finely chop onion and press garlic.
    3. In a medium saucepan, coat with 4 tbsp olive oil and add chopped onion. Once onion is soft, stir in garlic, tomato paste and a few dashes of dried oregano. Let mixture simmer and brown before adding tomatoes.
    4. Add in crushed tomatoes, bay leaves, salt, chili flakes and 2 tbsp olive oil to saucepan. Bring to low heat and let it simmer for 45 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes.
    5. Cut the eggplant vertically into ½ inch slices and place flat onto an olive oil greased baking sheet. Brush both sides of eggplant with olive oil and place in the preheated oven for 30-40 minutes, until the eggplant starts to get firm and slightly brown.
    6. Slice mozzarella and grate parmesan cheese, set aside for later.
    7. Remove eggplant from oven. Coat bottom of baking dish with sauce and add slices of eggplant to bottom of a baking dish. Add more tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, ricotta and basil on top of the slices. Continue layering the eggplant until the baking dish is full and add one more layer of sauce, mozzarella cheese, and parmesan cheese.
    8. Place the baking dish in the oven for 30 minutes at 375 degrees.
    9. Remove when the top is slightly brown and the edges are crisp. Let it for an hour and garnish with more parmesan cheese and fresh basil.