Serves 6-8

Ingredients

• 2 gloves of minced garlic 

• 32 oz of peeled, pureed tomatoes

• Handful of fresh basil

• Sea salt

• 8 oz of mozzarella cheese

• 3 oz (½ cup) grated parmesan cheese 

• 2 lbs eggplant (2 large eggplants)

• Olive oil

• 2 eggs

• ¾ cup Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs 

• ¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese

• Salt and pepper to season

• Preheat oven to 375ºF and brush two baking sheets with olive oil.

• Whisk together eggs and 2 tablespoons of water. In another bowl, mix together breadcrumbs, Parmesan, salt, and pepper. 

• Slice eggplants into ½ inch rounds. Sprinkle with course salt and let sit in a colander over a bowl, weighted down by another bowl full of water, for at least 30 minutes, preferably an hour.

• Heat a large drizzle of olive oil to fry the eggplant on medium-high heat. Before frying, rinse the eggplant with water. Pass each round first through flour, then eggs, then the breadcrumbs. When all the eggplant is breaded, add 3-4 rounds at a time to the pan (as many fit without overlapping). Fry a few minutes on each side until golden in color. Remove and let it cool down and dredge any excess oil by putting it on a plate or tray lined with paper towels.

• Alternatively, to skip the breading: Heat an inch of peanut oil to 330ºF to fry the eggplant. Before frying, rinse the eggplant and drain onto a paper towel or kitchen cloth and pat completely dry. Fry a few rounds at a time and remove from the oil with a slotted spoon or tongs when they are a light golden color. Let it cool down and dredge any excess oil by putting it on a plate or tray lined with paper towels.

• To make homemade tomato sauce, add a large drizzle of oil to a sauté pan and the two cloves of minced garlic. When the oil has heated and the garlic is fragrant (don’t let it burn!), pour in the tomato puree. Add in 10-12 basil leaves chopped into ribbons, and a big pinch of sea salt. Cover the pan and cook over medium heat 20-30 minutes to reduce the sauce. 

• Spread a thin layer of tomato sauce in a baking pan, then layer eggplant, followed by sliced mozzarella, and finally the grated parmesan. Repeat two more layers. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes until cheese starts to bubble and is lightly golden. Let cool before serving.