Eggplant Parmesan with Fresh Basil and Smoked Mozzarella

Directions

1. Line a plate with a paper towel; place a layer of 2 or 3 slices of eggplant onto the towel. Sprinkle eggplant with sea salt. Repeat layers of eggplant sprinkled with salt until all eggplant slices are stacked. Place 2 paper towels onto the stack and place a plate on top of the towels. Lay a heavy book or can of food onto the plate to squeeze out moisture. Allow to drip for 20 minutes to 2 hours. Rinse and pat dry.
2. Beat eggs with milk in a shallow bowl. Place bread crumbs into a separate bowl. Dip eggplant slices in the egg mixture and gently press into the crumbs to coat; set aside.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease an 8x8-inch baking dish.
4. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; fry eggplant slices in the hot oil in small batches until golden brown, about 1 to 2 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels.
5. Pour about 1/4 cup of marinara sauce into the bottom of the prepared baking dish and arrange a layer of eggplant slices to cover the sauce. Scatter basil and a few slices of smoked mozzarella cheese over eggplant; repeat layers, ending with a layer of sauce on top. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the top.
6. Bake in the preheated oven until heated through and the cheese has melted, about 15 minutes. Serve immediately.

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Reviews (10)

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35

Eyeballkid

Jul. 17, 2012

"This recipe was simple, easy and turned out awesome. The thinner slices of eggplant made a crispy dish even after the sauce. My eleven month old son even had seconds...." See more"

33

ANDRAROGERS

Oct. 21, 2012

"Delicious!!! My 7 year old asked for thirds! I used regular mozzarella instead of smoked, and laid the eggplant slices flat on a cookie sheet rather than layering them in a baking dish. Amazing, gr..." See moreeat recipe, thanks!"

26

Mom of five

Aug. 14, 2012

"wow! This is a delicious recipe. The smoked mozzarella is excellent and will be a permanent substitution for plain mozzarella in future Eggplant Parmesan dishes. I come from a long line of Italian co..." See moreoks who are known for this dish. That said, I was happy to find a recipe that deviated from the usual way we make it. I am a basil fan so I did add extra basil. My Nonie insists that you must dip in flour first before the egg and bread crumbs. Since I have grown up with that step , I do it automatically now. Not sure if it even makes a difference! Just when I thought I couldn't improve on the family recipe, I did! We make our own sauces and freeze for future use. I chose the caramelized onion and red bell pepper sauce which went great. Next time I am making a double batch! Oh thank you for this jewel of a recipe!"