Mary vaccaro's eggplant parmesan

6 To 8 servi

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
1 tablespoon Vegetable oil
1 can (28-ounce) crushed tomatoes
1 can (14-1/4-ounce) peeled tomatoes
½ cup Chopped onion
2 Cloves garlic; pressed
Salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon Dried oregano
1 tablespoon Dried parsley
¼ teaspoon Dried rosemary
1 teaspoon Dried basil
¼ teaspoon Dried marjoram
1 pinch Sugar
1 teaspoon Red pepper flakes
Vegetable oil spray
1 medium Globe eggplant
Olive oil
1 cup Shredded mozzarella
2 Eggs
2 teaspoons Water
½ cup Seasoned bread crumbs

Directions

I found this at the San Francisco Examiner: The only person I know who has managed to produce a consistently cooked eggplant is my mother-in-law. Her eggplant Parmesan always comes out light yet substantive, as opposed to saturated with oil while drowning in a pool of cheese. Her secret is economy - less cheese and less sauce make a better casserole.

Place the crushed and peeled tomatoes in a blender or food processor.

Pulse-blend to puree. The consistency of the tomatoes is best still somewhat chunky.

In a medium-sized, heavy-bottomed nonstick pot with a tightly fitting lid, heat the vegetable oil. Add the onion. Saute for about 5 to 7 minutes, until browned.

To the onions add the pureed tomatoes, garlic, salt and pepper, oregano, parsley, rosemary, basil, marjoram, sugar and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 1 hour.

Set aside the tomato sauce for an afternoon, or - even better - overnight so that the disparate flavors may meld.

Preheat the oven to broil. Cover a large baking sheet with foil.

Quick-spray the foil with vegetable oil.

Peel the eggplant. Cut the eggplant into ½-inch-thick rounds. Dip each piece into olive oil to coat on all sides. Place the slices on the foil.

Place the eggplant in the oven and broil the slices for about 5 minutes on each side. The eggplant slices are done when each one is lightly browned on both sides.

Preheat the oven to 325 F.

To assemble the eggplant Parmesan, ladle about ½ cup of sauce onto the bottom of a 6-by-11-inch, oven-proof glass or ceramic pan. Line the bottom of the pan with slices of cooked eggplant that do not overlap. Sprinkle cup of bread crumbs all over the eggplant.

Scramble 1 egg with 1 teaspoon of water and pour the mixture over the eggplant and bread crumbs. Sprinkle ¾ cup of the cheese all over the top.

For the second layer, repeat this process starting with the sauce.

For the third and final layer, laded by the remaining ½ cup bread crumbs.

Ladle the final ½ cup of sauce over the top, then sprinkle the remaining ¾ cup cheese over the top. Place the eggplant Parmesan in the preheated oven. Bake for 30 minutes.

Serve warm or at room temperature. Eggplant is best served the day after it is baked.

Posted to CHILE-HEADS DIGEST V4 #094 by Judy Howle <howle@...> on Aug 22, 1997

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