Restaurant Style Eggplant Parm
When you're looking for an easy-to-make and ah-mazingly delicious restaurant-style dinner to serve your family (that won't break the bank) I promise my eggplant parm won't dissapoint!
Ingredients
Marinara
- 28 oz crushed tomatoes I used San Marzano whole in puree, finished pureeing with a immersion blender
- 2 tablespoon olive oil extra virgin
- ⅓ cup onion fine chop
- 1 large clove garlic finely minced
- 1 tablespoon basil fine chop (if using dry basil only use 1 teaspoon)
- ½ teaspoon sea salt more or less to taste
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper more or less to taste
- 1 tsp sugar optional
Breaded Eggplant
- 1 large eggplant peeled and sliced lengthways
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour seasoned with salt and pepper
- 2 large eggs mixed with ½ cup water or milk for eggwash
- 1 ½ cup bread crumbs seasoned, plain or panko
Eggplant Parm
- 1 ½ cups Marinara from recipe or use your favorite jarred sauce
- 1 tablespoon grated Romano cheese
- 1 cup mozzarella shredded
- 1 tablespoon Italian Parsley for mozzarella and final garnish
Instructions
Marinara Sauce
- Add diced onions and garlic to a saucepan with olive oil over medium-high heat and saute for 1-2 minutes. Don't let them burn.
- Add the crushed tomatoes to the pan and stir well.
- Add the salt, pepper, basil and sugar to the pot and allow to come to a boil then reduce the heat to simmer. If you're in a hurry the sauce is basically ready. I like to give the sauce another 15-20 minutes but give the flavors a little time to build. Marinara is a quick sauce originally made on ships to feed hungry sailors quickly.*Feel free to use your favorite jarred sauce, if you'd rather not make the marinara
Breaded Eggplant
- The first step in making Restaurant-Style Eggplant Parm is to set up a breading station. Flour Seasoned with salt and pepper - eggwash- breadcrumbs.*egg wash is whole eggs, whipped with water, milk or a combination of both. I usually use 2 eggs with ½ cup of water.
- Dredge the eggplant cutlets in flour seasoned with salt and black pepper, completely coating the eggplant.
- Next, dip the floured eggplant into an egg wash
- Finally, place the egg-dipped eggplant cutlets into bread crumbs, making sure to completely coat the eggplant with the bread crumbs.
- Add about ½ an inch of your favorite oil to a large saute pan or skillet. Let the oil heat up or medium-high heat, until a bit of breading dropped into the oil, begins to sizzle.When the oil is hot enough, carefully add the eggplant cutlets to the pan using tongs. Don’t drop them in, the oil can splatter and burn you!Let the cutlets sautee on each side for about 2 minutes or until you have a nice golden brown color. Move the finished cutlets to a screen (or paper towels) to drain off the excess oil.
Eggplant Parm
- Add a little sauce to the baking dish then place the eggplant cutlet on top of the sauce. Then add a sprinkle of grated Romano cheese on top of the sauce. Don’t skimp on the sauce!
- Add shredded mozzarella on top of the sauce, followed by a sprinkle of fresh chopped parsley (it will make it look even prettier).I like to leave a little of the cutlet showing for visual effect.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until the cheese is nicely melted. If you'd like to cook the eggplant more allow the eggplant to bake for 15 minutes before adding the cheese. Give it an additional 10 minutes or so to let the cheese melt.
- Serve with your favorite pasta and enjoy!
Nutrition
Calories: 561kcalCarbohydrates: 79gProtein: 27gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 155mgSodium: 1343mgPotassium: 978mgFiber: 10gSugar: 15gVitamin A: 1117IUVitamin C: 14mgCalcium: 360mgIron: 6mg
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