Grilled Eggplant Parm

Eggplant Parmesan is one of my fave dishes. Vegetarian. Comforting. I love it.

Oftentimes when ordering the dish out on the restaurant scene, the eggplant is breaded and fried. My way cuts all of that out. The eggplant is brushed with olive oil, seasoned with salt and pepper and grilled on my trusty grill pan.

Because the eggplant is prepared in this way, the true flavor of the vegetable shines through the layers of marinara and cheese. In the traditional way, the breading and frying can mask the texture and the yumminess of the star of the show.

I'm pretty certain grilling the eggplants and eliminating the egg wash and breading cuts calories in some fashion. I'm no nutritionist, but I mean common sense, right?

My recipe for marinara is listed below as well. I served my eggplant parm with some cavatelli in marinara. A perfect duo.

Warning to all of my cooking friends who are looking for a rush job on this: It takes time. From making the sauce, to grilling the eggplant and waiting for things to cool. Bank on a few hours when all is said and done. But it is worth it!

Grilled Eggplant Parm
Makes 8 servings

2 large eggplants, cut into 1/4-inch thick slices (16-20)
48 ounces marinara, warmed (recipe below)
2 cups shredded mozzarella, divided
1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

Drizzle olive oil into a 13 by 9 Pyrex glass baking dish. Coat the bottom and sides with the oil using a paper towel.

Line up eggplant slices on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and lightly season with salt and pepper on both sides. You will need to do this in batches or use multiple baking sheets.

Meanwhile, heat a grill pan over high heat. Grill eggplant on both sides, about 4-5 minutes per side, in batches. Don't overcrowd the pan. Four to five fit on my pan at a time.

 Remove from grill pan and let cool on another baking sheet.

Spread about a cup of marinara sauce over the bottom of the glass baking dish. Layer half of the eggplant slices on top.

Spread about another cup or so of sauce on top. Sprinkle evenly with a cup of mozzarella and 1/4 cup of Parmigiano-Reggiano. Layer the remaining eggplant on top of the cheese, followed by more sauce and the remaining cheese.

Cover the entire pan with aluminum foil. Poke about 8 to 10 slits throughout the foil to ventilate the dish while it is in the oven.

Bake covered dish in a preheated 375 degree oven for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 15 minutes uncovered. Remove from oven. Cover with foil again and let set for about 20 minutes.

Serve with your favorite pasta and remaining marinara.

Here's my traditional marinara recipe:

Susan's Marinara
2 Tbsp. olive oil
8 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 small onion, minced
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 can Cento pureed tomatoes (28. oz)
1 can Cento crushed tomatoes (28 oz.)
A little bit of water – probably half a cup
20 fresh basil leaves
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the garlic, onion and red pepper flakes. Cook for about five minutes, until fragrant.

Add the pureed and crushed tomatoes. Use a little bit of water to rinse off the tomato on the sides of the cans and pour into pot.The water should measure to a half cup.

Add salt and pepper to taste. I did 20 grinds of my pepper mill and a scant 1/4 tsp. salt.

Snip basil leaves into pot with cooking shears.

Turn your heat down to low. Simmer partially covered for 45 minutes. Make sure you stir every 5 to 10 minutes.