Eggplant Parmigiana
While the word parmigiana literally means “from Parma,” a town in northern Italy, this dish is clearly Sicilian in origin. Here you have the traditional eggplant-parmigiana recipe that everyone loves. This versatile dish can be made in advance and baked when your guests arrive. It reheats well as a leftover and makes a great sandwich as well. In Italy, sometimes it is not even baked, but assembled with sauce and a generous sprinkling of grated Grana Padano, eliminating the mozzarella, and eaten straightaway. And at Roberto’s, on Arthur Avenue in the Bronx, I found alternating layers of eggplant and zucchini—delicious.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 8
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Salt the eggplant slices all over with 1 tablespoon kosher salt. Layer them in a large colander set in the sink. Lay a plate over the eggplant and weight it down with cans to help press out excess liquid. Let drain about 1/2 hour, then rinse and pat dry.
Step 2
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Toss together the bread crumbs, 2 cups of the grated cheese, and 1 cup of the olive oil in a large shallow bowl. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Beat the eggs and milk with a pinch of salt in another shallow bowl. Spread the flour on a plate.
Step 3
Dredge the eggplant slices in flour, then the eggs, then the bread crumbs, pressing the crumbs in to make sure they adhere. Lay the eggplant slices on parchment-lined baking sheets, making sure they are not touching. Place in the oven, and bake the eggplant, rotating the sheets halfway through baking, until it is cooked through and the crumbs are crisp and golden, about 25 minutes. Remove, and let cool slightly.
Step 4
Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the crushed garlic, and sauté until just golden, about 1 to 2 minutes. Toss in the spinach with any water clinging to the leaves, season with remaining salt, then cover and cook until wilted, about 3 to 4 minutes. Check occasionally to make sure the bottom of the pan is not dry, adding water a tablespoon at a time if necessary. Once the spinach is wilted, uncover, and cook until spinach is tender and excess water is gone, about 4 minutes.
Step 5
To assemble the eggplant: Spread 3/4 cup of the marinara sauce in the bottom of a 10-by-15-inch baking dish. Make a layer of half of the baked eggplant in the dish. Spread 1 cup of the marinara sauce over it, and sprinkle on 1/2 cup of the grated Grana Padano and half the shredded mozzarella; spread all of the spinach in one layer on top. Cover with 2 more cups marinara, and sprinkle on the remaining shredded mozzarella and 1/2 cup grated Grana Padano. Top with an even layer of the remaining eggplant. Spread the remaining sauce on top, and sprinkle with the remaining grated Grana Padano. Tent the baking dish with foil so it is not touching the cheese, and bake until bubbly, about 30 minutes. Uncover, and bake until the cheese is browned and crusty and sauce is bubbling all over, another 15 minutes. Let cool and set 5 to 10 minutes before cutting and serving.
