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Prep Time: 1 Minutes Cook Time: 40 Minutes |
Ready In: 41 Minutes Servings: 6 |
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Mike Isabella's Crazy Good Italian Ingredients:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour |
3 large eggs, beaten |
2 cups panko breadcrumbs |
1/4 cup plus 3 c grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese |
2 tablespoons dried oregano |
2 1/2 teaspoons salt |
2 teaspoons finely ground red chili pepper flakes |
2 medium eggplants |
2 cups extra virgin olive oil |
3 whole garlic cloves |
6 cups marinara sauce |
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese |
10 basil leaves, rolled and thinly sliced |
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 375°F Set up a breading station using three separate shallow bowls. One bowl for flour and one for eggs. Whisk together bread crumbs, 1/4 c parmesan, oregano, salt, and chili flakes and place in the third bowl.
2. Slice off 1/2 inch from the bottoms and tops of the eggplants and discard. Use a vegetable peeler to remove the skin. Slice the eggplant into 3/4 inch thick rounds.
3. Dredge each slice of eggplant in flour, then egg, then breadcrumb mixture.
4. Heat the olive oil and garlic cloves in a large saute pan over medium heat. Saute the garlic for 10-15 minutes, until golden brown. Remove the garlic and disard.
5. Increase the heat to medium high and fry the breaded eggplant slices for 3 minutes per side, until golden brown. Remove to a cooling rack.
6. Ladle 3/4 cup tomato sauce into an 8x8 inch baking dish. Layer the eggplant, sauce, mozzarella, parmesan, and basil. Repeat until you have three layers of eggplant. Top with remaining cheese. The key is to have each layer of eggplant surrounded by tomato sauce.
7. Cover with foil and place the dish on a baking sheet. Bake for 35 minutes, removing foil after 25 minutes. The sauce and cheese should be bubbling. Let rest at room temperature for 5-10 minutes before serving.
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