I was afraid of eggplant until I was about 25 and I’ve been making up for that mistake ever since.  I grew up on my mom’s recipe which was not to bread it.  When I moved to New York City and tried breaded Eggplant Parm, I really couldn’t get excited about it, maybe because my favorite way to eat it is the next day on a bulky Italian roll.  It all just seemed like too much breading for me but over time I grew to love it both ways, so here are two ways to cook eggplant-one with breading and one without.

Eggplant Parm without Breadcrumbs

Ingredients

• ·       2 large eggplants
• ·       Olive oil
• ·       Salt
• ·       4cups prepared tomato sauce
• ·       1 cup Pecorino Romano cheese, grated
• ·       Fresh basil
• ·       ½ ball of fresh mozzarella cheese, shredded by hand
• ·       Fresh or dried parsley, chopped

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Slice the eggplant into ½ inch slices and brush them with olive oil and lay them in a single layer on baking sheets.  Sprinkle with salt and heat in the oven for 30 minutes or until soft and no longer stiff to the touch.

Ladle some tomato sauce on the bottom of a baking dish and line with the first layer of eggplant. Cover with more sauce, sprinkle the Pecorino cheese on top and shredded basil.  Repeat this step and add mozzarella cheese to the final layer.  

Cover and bake in the oven for 1-2 hours, no more than 3.  You really can't overcook this eggplant.  In fact, the longer the better, just make sure it stays covered so it doesn't burn.  Let stand, covered, for 15 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with crusty Italian bread. It will melt in your mouth.

Eggplant Parm with Breadcrumbs

Ingredients

• ·       2 large eggplants
• ·       2 eggs
• ·       Dash of water
• ·       2 cups Italian seasoned breadcrumbs (I like Progresso)
• ·       Olive oil
• ·       Salt & pepper
• ·       4 cups prepared tomato sauce
• ·       1 cup Pecorino Romano cheese, grated
• ·       1 ball of fresh mozzarella cheese, shredded by hand
• ·       Fresh or dried parsley, chopped

Directions

Slice the eggplant ½ inch thick. Sprinkle with salt and layer in a colander with paper towel between layers and a heavy pot on top.  This will drain out the excess liquid from the eggplant since you won't be cooking this as long as the first recipe. The colander should be in the sink so you don't ruin your counters! Let it sit for up to an hour but at least until you see about ½ cup of liquid seep out. Pat dry before proceeding.

Whisk the eggs and the water in a deep dish or bowl and pour the breadcrumbs into another bowl, side by side and close to the stove.  Season the breadcrumbs with salt and pepper.  Cover a large non-stick skillet with at least ½ inch of oil and heat on the stove to medium-high. Dip each eggplant slice in the eggwash, then the breadcrumbs and then into the skillet. Fit as many as you can in the skillet at one time and fry until golden-brown on both sides. Drain slices on a plate lined with paper towels.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a long baking dish with a layer of sauce and then your first layer of eggplant. Add more sauce and sprinkle with the Romano and ½ the mozzarella cheese.  Repeat once more.  Cover and bake for 45 minutes, removing the cover for the last 10 so it browns. Let stand, tented with foil, 15 minutes before serving.  Serve with extra sauce on the side.

The next day, shove either of these leftovers into a crusty, bulky roll for a delicious sandwich!