Grandma's Italian Eggplant Parmigiana

Recipesfull introduces to you: Italian Recipes. (Grandma's Italian Eggplant Parmigiana). This heirloom Italian family recipe came stateside with my grandmother when she immigrated from Italy. Growing up in a house that had Italian sauce being made every Sunday, this eggplant was always a favorite. Using good quality ingredients is critical for this recipe. It is very time consuming and laborious. It would be a shame to invest all of this time and effort with inferior ingredients only to be let down when you eat it later.

Brief

Prep 30 mins

Cook: 50 mins

Additional: 8hrs15 mins

Total: 9hrs35 mins

Servings: 12

Yield: 12 servings

Grandma's Italian Eggplant Parmigiana

Ingredients

2 medium Italian eggplants

peeled and cut into 1/4-inch slices

2 cups all-purpose flour

sifted

3 tablespoons sea salt

or to taste

1 tablespoon ground black pepper

or to taste

5 eggs

room temperature

3 tablespoons water

room temperature

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

or as needed

2 cups freshly grated Pecorino-Romano cheese

divided

40 ounces Italian-style tomato sauce

2 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese

30 ounces freshly grated mozzarella cheese

Italian Chickpea Bread

World Cuisine

Directions

Step 1

Lay eggplant slices on top of paper towels and sprinkle with sea salt to draw out moisture. Cover with additional paper towels. Let sit 8 hours to overnight.

Step 2

Place flour into a 1-gallon plastic zip-top bag. Sprinkle salt and pepper into the flour and shake the bag to mix. Place 6 eggplant slices into the bag seal and shake to coat.

Step 3

Beat eggs and water together using a fork in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper.

Step 4

Heat 2 inches of oil over medium-high heat in a 10-inch cast iron skillet. Line baking sheets with paper towels to drain eggplants after frying.

Step 5

Shake excess flour from eggplant slices and place into egg mixture turning to ensure both sides are coated. Allow excess egg mixture to drip off before placing slices into the hot oil. Fry until slightly golden 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to the paper towel-lined baking sheets. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon Pecorino Romano cheese. Repeat process until all eggplant slices are fried. Let cool slightly about 5 minutes.

Step 6

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Step 7

Pour a small amount of tomato sauce into the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking pan to cover. Place 1/3 of the eggplant slices over sauce slightly overlapping them. Sprinkle 1/3 of the remaining Pecorino-Romano cheese and Parmesan cheese evenly over the slices. Cover with a light layer of sauce. Sprinkle 1/3 of the mozzarella cheese over sauce. Repeat for a total of 3 layers.

Step 8

Bake in the preheated oven until bubbly about 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes to set.

Nutritional Information

Grandma's Italian Eggplant Parmigiana

Servings Per Recipe:12

Calories: 568.9

% Daily Value *

Protein: 35.6g 71%

Carbohydrates: 33.1g 11%

Dietary Fiber: 5.3g 21%

Sugars: 7.9g

Fat: 32.7g 50%

Saturated Fat: 14.8g 74%

Cholesterol: 145.9mg 49%

Vitamin A Iu: 597.7IU 12%

Niacin Equivalents: 9mg 69%

Vitamin B6: 0.2mg 12%

Vitamin C: 2.1mg 4%

Folate: 76mcg 19%

Calcium: 937.1mg 94%

Iron: 17.8mg 99%

Magnesium: 70.8mg 25%

Potassium: 367.7mg 10%

Sodium: 2463.2mg 99%

Thiamin: 0.2mg 25%

Calories From Fat: 294.7

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

**Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

(-)Nutrition information is provided for reference only. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.