No-fry eggplant parmesan

[eleny]

I've quit breading and frying the eggplant slices since hubby's developed some health problems. I bake the slices on a baking sheet that I smear with a scant bit of olive oil. Then I layer the slices as usual with sauce and just a little bit of shredded Italian cheeses in a covered casserole.

What I've learned is that eggplant has such a powerful and distinct flavor that I don't miss the traditional method. And it's so much easier. I've made this once a week for the past three weekends and we're not tired of it yet. Another nice thing is that the kitchen cleanup is about nil.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

1. I never breaded it,

finding it heavy and superfluous. I just use thicker slices of eggplant, which makes for a much more substantial dish, and you're absolutely right - the flavor just sings!

[elleng]

2. Please tell!

I somehow recall eggplant parmesan from my WAAAAY youth (in Brooklyn) but have never come up with a recipe. For me, as with pizza and other things, the sauce is the thing.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

3. Always the sauce,

and mine never turns out the same way twice, which is part of the fun.

You can use this recipe: http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/eggplant_parmesan/ - but skip the breading part if you don't like it.

And the sauce, well, I confess that I've used bottled - Paul Newman's, Bertolli - and they've been really, really good.

You just can't miss with eggplant parmesan, you can't .........................

[elleng]

4. Thanks, kid!

:hug:

[Stinky The Clown]

5. Have you yet tried grilling the eggplant?

I do this for the vegetables in vegetable lasagna - which always includes eggplant. I am certain it would work equally well with eggplant parm.

I use an oil sprayer to spray a thin coat of olive oil on the slices before grilling them, but I'm not sure it is needed. You could use a paper towel dipped in olive oil, and then use the same paper towel (held with tongs) to oil the grill grate.

The eggplant develops absolutely beautiful grill marks and gets a really nice, smoky flavor ..... much more than a lot of other vegetables do. Another benefit of grilling is that it gets rid of a lot of the excess water in eggplant, making for a far richer lashing (and quite likely, eggplant parm) too

[eleny]

6. I'm going to try this!

It's been cloudy with some rain here every day for days. But when the sun comes back to Colorado I'm going to be grilling a lot. The only diff will be that I'll use larger slices than I usually do. He's going to get this version as a surprise. Thanks!

[Vinca]

7. Do you bread the slices before baking them in the oven?

When I make moussaka I paint the naked eggplant slices with olive oil and broil them. For some reason I thought the breading on slices for eggplant parm might contribute as a thickener for the dish, but it sounds like it doesn't make a difference.

[eleny]

8. I don't bread them

I do like the breading but we're cutting back on bread. So I tried the dish without that step and it worked out fine.