Eggplant Parmesan
This recipe is adapted from the wonderful Jamie Oliver. I love the simplicity of his recipes and am always surprised at the flavor that comes from using minimal ingredients. Get yourself a good can of crushed tomatoes for this recipe (I like Bianco DiNapoli) and make sure your eggplants are in good shape. Their skin should be smooth and shiny. When using few ingredients, you want to make sure the few you use are good on their own for optimal flavor.
While his recipe is wonderful, I adapted it slightly just to make it my own, by adding an anchovy and using fresh rosemary instead of oregano. Anchovy pairs well with eggplant and you won’t taste it, I promise, it’ll just add a subtle background depth of flavor.
Recipe resource: Jamie Oliver
Adapted by: Tierney Larson
Ingredients:
3 eggplants, cut into 1/2 inch rounds
kosher salt
Black pepper
4 tbl extra virgin olive oil, divided, plus more for brushing on the eggplant
1 red onion, or yellow onion works too, diced
1 large garlic clove, thinly sliced
3/4 tsp of minced fresh rosemary
1 anchovy
1 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes
1 tbl red wine vinegar
1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup of dried bread crumbs
Ok so…
Preheat the oven to 450F. Brush both sides of the eggplant slices on both sides with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spread out on 2 sheet pans and roast for 10-15 minutes on one side, and then flip and roast for a further 10-15 min until both sides are golden brown. When they’re done, remove and set aside and lower the oven to 375F.
Meanwhile, heat a medium saucepan (or your fav pot to make sauce in) over medium heat. Add 3 tbl of olive oil and when shimmery, add the onions and a pinch of salt. Let them cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 7-8min. Add the garlic, rosemary, anchovy and a pinch of salt and stir, breaking up the anchovy until it’s fully melted into the pan. Then add the crushed tomatoes and a pinch of salt, and a few grinds of black pepper. Bring to a simmer and then cover and place the heat on low. Let simmer covered for 15-20 minutes.
When the sauce is done, taste it and add more salt or pepper if necessary to taste. Then add the red wine vinegar and stir to combine. Take off of the heat and set aside. Get a baking dish that’s 9x9, 10x6 or 10x5 and spread a thin layer of sauce on the bottom, then sprinkle a thin layer of parmesan, then a layer of eggplant. Repeat these layers until all the ingredients are used up. Then in a small bowl, mix the bread crumbs with a pinch of salt and 1 tbl of olive oil until they’re coated in oil. Sprinkle them on top of the eggplant parm, and then place in the oven (375F) for 25-35 minutes, until golden brown and bubbling. Enjoy!
