Bobby Flay goes molto Italiano with his vegetarian eggplant Parmesan recipe.
Directions for: Bobby Flay's Eggplant Parmesan
Ingredients
Roasted Red Pepper Tomato Sauce3 Tbsp olive oil
1 large yellow onion, coarsely chopped
3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
tsp red pepper flakes
3 roasted red peppers, peeled, seeded and chopped
2 (28-oz) cans plum tomatoes and their juices, crushed with your hands
1 (28-oz) can crushed tomatoes
3 Tbsp freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley
3 Tbsp freshly chopped basil leaves
1 Tbsp freshly chopped oregano leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Honey, to taste
Eggplant5 cups dried breadcrumbs (made from dried day-old bread)
Butter, for greasing the dish
3 Tbsp finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh oregano leaves
1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 large eggs, beaten
2 Tbsp water
2 - 3 eggplants (about 2 1/4-lbs), cut into 1/2-inch-thick round slices (need about 18 slices)
All-purpose flour, for dredging
Vegetable oil, for frying
12 oz grated mozzarella (not fresh), plus 1/2 lb fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
12 oz grated fontina
cup grated Pecorino Romano
Fresh basil leaves, torn
Directions
Roasted Red Pepper Tomato Sauce1. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until soft. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for 1 minute. Add the red peppers and cook for 1 minute.
2. Add the tomatoes, bring to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a food processor and process until smooth. Return the mixture back to the pot, add the parsley, basil and oregano and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 10 minutes longer and season with honey, if needed.
Eggplant1. To dry out the breadcrumbs, preheat the oven to 300F. Evenly spread the breadcrumbs on a large baking sheet and place in the oven. Bake for 5 minutes, turn the oven off and let the breadcrumbs sit in the oven for 30 minutes or until just dry.
2. Raise the temperature of the oven up to 400F. Lightly butter the bottom and sides of a 15 by 10 by 2-inch baking dish and set aside.
3. Place the breadcrumbs into a large shallow bowl. Add the herbs, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. In another medium shallow bowl, whisk the eggs and 2 tablespoons of water together.
4. Season each eggplant slice on both sides with salt and pepper. Dredge each eggplant slice in the flour, tapping off excess, then dip it in the egg, and finally dredge it in the breadcrumb mixture. Shake off any excess breading and transfer the eggplant to a baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining eggplant.
5. Heat 1/2-inch of oil in 2 large straight-sided saute pans over medium heat until the oil reaches a temperature of 385 degrees F. Working in small batches, fry a few of the eggplant slices, turning once, until golden brown, about 3 minutes per batch. Using tongs, transfer to a paper towel-lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining eggplant.
6. Cover the bottom of the prepared baking dish with some of the tomato sauce and arrange 1/2 of the eggplant over the sauce. Cover the eggplant with some of the sauce, grated mozzarella, fontina, Romano cheese and some of the basil. Repeat to make 3 layers ending with the sauce. Top with the fresh mozzarella and remaining Romano and bake until hot and just beginning to brown, about 30 minutes. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.
See more: Cheese, Dinner, Bake, Eggs/Dairy, Herbs, Italian, Tomatoes, Vegetables