My aunt was married to a Sicilian-American. She learned to be a superior cook of Italian food from her mother-in-law, who we all called Nana. Living only half a block away from Aunt Margaret, I spent many hours over the years watching and learning to cook the dishes she prepared. Her version of eggplant parmesan was different than what I would experience in in restaurants in later years. She never breaded and fried her eggplant. She sauteed it in olive oil and layered it with sauce and cheeses like a lasagna. I have always preferred it that way but I have never encountered that style in any restaurant. I made some changes to cater to my own taste; mostly the sauce. She made a sauce that was more like a marinara. I make a bolognese sauce that I learned from a local friend whose family is from Bologna, Italy. I also don’t sauté the eggplant, rather broil it in the oven, brushed with olive oil. I think this method of eggplant parmesan highlights the flavor of the vegetable much more than when you fry it. This method is low carb friendly and can be vegetarian if you use a marinara sauce instead of the bolognese.  If you love eggplant, you will love this dish.

MISE EN PLACE

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 Recipe Bolognese Sauce or Marinara Sauce
• 1 Pound ground beef (I used 80/20)
• 2 Medium to large eggplants, peeled and sliced approximately 1/4 inch lengthwise
• 8 Oz. mozzarella cheese (not the fresh kind)
• 4 Cups grated parmigiano reggiano
• Olive oil for brushing eggplant and sautéing
• Salt and Pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

• Turn on oven to high broil.
• In a Dutch oven or heavy 8 to 10 quart pot, brown the meat with a little salt and pepper and 1 tablespoon of olive oil, breaking the meat up as you cook. The meat should be very brown leaving bits of font in the pot.
• Remove the meat from the pot when done and place in a mesh strainer to remove as much fat as possible and discard any of the oil left in the pan.
• Add one tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and scrape up the bits and pieces of font.
• Add the sauce and meat and simmer while prepping the remaining ingredients.
• Place the sliced eggplant in one layer on a parchment lined cookie sheet in a single layer. You will need to do this in two batches. Brush with olive oil and lightly salt. Broil in the oven until starting to take on a golden brown hue. Turn, brush with olive oil again and, again, broil until starting to take on a golden brown hue. Remove from pan and do the same with the second batch.
• When finished broiling, turn the oven to bake at 375 degrees F.
• Using a 10 1/2 by 8 1/2 casserole dish, spoon enough sauce to lightly cover the bottom of the dish.
• Place enough eggplant to cover the entire bottom. Spoon more sauce on top of the eggplant to cover lightly.
• Spread half of each cheese on top.
• Cover the cheese with the remaining eggplant, then the sauce, then the cheeses.
• Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.
• Uncover and bake for an additional 10 minutes.
• Let sit for 20 to 30 minutes before slicing.