Meatless Monday: Eggplant Parmesan 

Who loves pasta?

We do! We do!

We don’t eat it much, but every once in a while (or when the budget says so), we eat pasta. We’ve traded off white pasta for whole wheat to get rid of a lot of the carbs and sugar white pasta has. The texture is a bit different, but it is hardly noticeable with a hearty sauce to accompany it. Last week I was craving eggplant parmesan, so when we took our weekly trip to the grocery store, we picked up the necessary ingredients.

Eggplant is super hearty, and if you’re doing Meatless Monday, it’s a good substitute for meat (especially with pasta).  Eggplant parm is a little intensive to make; like lasagna it has several steps. But it’s not hard and there aren’t any super fancy ingredients needed. Did I mention that it is also über delicious? No? Well, it is. Totally worth the effort.

If you’re into a delicious plate of pasta like we are, read on for how to create a dinner that is worthy of that glass of red wine you’re drinking. I see you.

Ingredients

• One medium-sized eggplant
• 1/2 cup AP flour
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs
• 1 1/2 cups tomato sauce
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella
• 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 4-5 leaves fresh basil
• 1 lb cooked spaghetti
• 1/2 cup oil for frying

Directions

• Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
• In separate bowls, pour your flour, breadcrumbs, and eggs.
• Add a dash of water to eggs and whisk until combined.
• Peel and slice eggplant into discs.
• Heat oil in large saucepan to medium high.
• Dip each disc first into the flour coating both sides.
• Then, coat each side of disc in egg mixture.
• Finally, coat each disc on both sides with breadcrumbs.
• Drop the eggplant discs into heated oil cooking 1-3 minutes on each side until fully cooked.
• Once cooked, set on plate to rest until all the eggplant is cooked.
• Coat a 9×13 pan with 1/2 cup of sauce.
• Place eggplant in single layer on top of sauce. (You may have a few pieces leftover. We usually save these for another meal aka eggplant parm sandwiches!)
• Spread 1 cup of sauce on top the eggplant.
• Sprinkle mozzarella and parmesan cheese on top of sauce.
• Bake for 15-20 minutes until cheese is throughly melted and bubbling.

Serve over cooked spaghetti. Serves and pairs well with a 2012 Cabernet. At least that’s what we drank with it.

What pasta dishes are you inclined to crave? Share your recipe with us!