Eggplant and Summer Squash Parmesan
Ingredients
2 small eggplants
2 yellow squash
2 zucchini
3 eggs
3 tablespoon water
1⁄3 cup all purpose flour
1⁄8 teaspoon salt, or to taste
Oil for frying (I used 1⁄2 cup olive oil and 1⁄2 cup butter)
2 cups marinara sauce, plus more to taste (I used Roasted Tomato Sauce #2 and wished that I had used something a bit more plain)
2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
1⁄3 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 375*F.
2. Cut eggplant into 1⁄4-inch thick slices. Cut yellow squash and zucchini into 1⁄4-inch thick planks lengthwise.
3. In a large, shallow bowl, beat the eggs with the water. Using a whisk, stir in the flour and salt until smooth.
4. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat until it bubbles when a drop of batter is tossed in.
5. Dip 3 or 4 of the vegetable slices into the batter, and then fry in a single layer until browned on the bottom, about 3-4 minutes. Turn and cook until browned on second side. Remove from skillet and drain on paper towels. Repeat with remaining eggplant slices until all are fried.
6. Spread 1⁄2 cup of the sauce in the bottom of a 9 x 13 x 2-inch baking pan. Layer 1⁄2 of the slices on the bottom of the pan. Top with 1 cup of the sauce, spreading to cover the vegetable slices. Sprinkle 1 cup of the mozzarella over the sauce and top with 2 tablespoons of the Parmesan.
7. Place the remaining vegetable slices over the cheese and spread the remaining 1⁄2 cup of the sauce over the vegetables. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of mozzarella over the sauce. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan.
8. Cover with aluminum foil and bake 20 to 25 minutes or until heated through and the cheese has melted. Serve with pasta if desired.
Note: If you prefer saucier Parmesan, add more sauce in steps 6 and 7.
Comments
I firmly believe that the best way to sell a non-believer on eggplant is through Eggplant Parmesan. Over the years, I’ve found that summer squash also makes fantastic Parmesan and that combining the two is even better. It came as a surprise when I realized that I haven’t made Eggplant Parmesan yet this market season so I decided to rectify that. It also came as a surprise when I realized that I didn’t have a recipe for the dish in my files. I found this one in the awesome 1,000 Vegetarian Recipes by Carol Gelles. It’s the cookbook that carried me through my years of vegetarianism and I still turn to it as a valuable resource.
I wasn’t completely thrilled with how this turned out, it uses a non-traditional coating that’s closer to tempura than the normal breading that the dish calls for. It was delicious, but I think I prefer the traditional method.
1,000 Vegetarian Recipes