Roasted Eggplant Parmesan

 
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This recipe was found for us by Grow Eco member, April and originates from Ina Garten’s book “Cook Like a Pro”. The photo above from April is the true to the recipe version with all indulgent cheeses, but I tried a vegan version myself with daiya mozzarella, Kite Hill almond milk soft cheese and nutritional yeast in place of the parmesan. If you’re not a fan of the fake cheeses, but still want a vegan version, I think it would still be delicious just using the nutritional yeast.

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 pounds eggplant, unpeeled, halved lengthwise and sliced 1/4 to 1/3 inch thick

  • 3/4 cup olive oil

  • 1 Tbsp dried oregano

  • Salt and freshly ground pepper

  • one 24oz jar marinara sauce

  • 1/2 cup sliced fresh basil leaves

  • 1 pound fresh buffalo mozzarella, thinly sliced

  • 8 oz garlic and herb goat cheese such as Montrachet

  • 1. 1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese

For the topping:

  • 1 1/3 cups fresh bread crumbs

  • 4 garlic cloves, minced

  • 1/4 cup chopped basil or parsley leaves

  • 1/4 cup olive oil

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 400F and arrange three racks evenly spaced.

  2. Lay the sliced eggplant on however many sheet pans you need to have the eggplant in one layer and not overlapping.

  3. Brush both sides of the eggplant with olive oil, using all the oil. Then, sprinkle with the oregano, crushing it with your hands, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1 1/2 teaspoons of pepper.

  4. Bake the eggplant for 15 minutes, then turn the slices and rotate the pans in the oven onto different shelves, cooking for a further 10 minutes. Leave the oven at 400F.

  5. In a 10 by 14 by 2 inch baking dish, spread a third of the marinara sauce on the bottom. Arrange a third of the eggplant on top of the sauce in one layer and then scatter one third of the basil and cheeses on top. repeat this twice more, starting with the sauce and ending with the cheeses.

  6. For the topping, place the bread crumbs, garlic and basil in a food processor and pulse to combine. Add the 1/4 cup of olive oil and a pinch of salt and pulse to moisten the crumbs. Sprinkle this mixture evenly over the dish.

  7. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes until bubbling and golden brown. Allow to sit for 10 minutes after removing from the oven before serving.

 
Andrew Williamson