| | Published August 14th, 2013
| Melanzane Napoli
| |  | | Piccolo Napoli's Melanzane Napoli (Eggplant Parmesan) Photos Susie Iventosch
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INGREDIENTS
3 large eggplants, skin intact, sliced into thin rounds (1/4-1/2 inch thick) and "sweated" as in method above
1-2 cups excellent quality extra virgin olive oil (added to pan as needed)
Flour mixture:
1 1/2 cups flour
Salt & pepper to taste
Egg mixture:
4 eggs, whisked in a bowl
1/4 cup milk mixed into eggs
Breading mixture:
2 cups Italian flavored bread crumbs
1 cup grated parmesan
Garlic powder to taste
Fresh parsley, chopped
Salt & pepper to taste
For layering:
2 lbs. sliced fresh mozzarella
1 cup grated Parmesan or other favorite Italian grating
cheese, such as Pecorino Romano or Asiago
(Note* I used closer to 2 cups for good coverage)
4-6 cups warmed Marinara sauce, homemade is best but
a good prepared sauce will work wonders at home
DIRECTIONS
Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large frying pan, 1/3 cup at a time (do not burn the oil!) Dip eggplant slices into flour mixture, then into egg mixture, then breading mixture. Place side by side in pan and cook for 5-7 minutes, or until a delightful golden brown, then flip and cook the other side for only a few more minutes. Repeat process until all the eggplant slices are fried, and use all the various sized pieces. Add oil after each batch of eggplant is removed.
Remove the fried eggplant slices as they cook and drain on paper-towel covered platter.
When ready to layer, pour a few large spoonfuls of sauce on the bottom of a deep baking pan, such as a lasagna pan or roasting pan.
Place the fried eggplant side by side in rows covering the bottom of the pan.
Cover the eggplant with sliced Mozzarella, sprinkle with grated cheese and cover with more sauce.
Repeat the layers until you reach the top of the pan, three layers deep, with the final topping being the mozzarella and grated cheese, and just a small amount of sauce.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes, covered with aluminum foil, and 5-10 more minutes uncovered to be sure the cheese has melted beautifully. (Note* My baking dish was quite full, so I tented the aluminum foil, giving the cheese some space, so as not to stick to the foil.)
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Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA