Hello Friends! We are joining up with Shoko, Tyebe, and Da Phenny for another episode of PURRRSUIT of FLAVOURS. It’s a fun BLOG HOP and if you click the PURRRRSUIT of FLAVOURS graphic at the top of the page you will go to Canadian Cats to hook up with the HOP. This month’s project was SHEET PAN MEALS and we have a doozy of a recipe for you. My Mom loves eggplant so this was a natural (and easy too!).
SHEET PAN EGGPLANT PARMESAN
Ingredients
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 large cloves garlic, thinly sliced
One 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Kosher salt
1/3 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped, plus more torn leaves for serving
1 medium-large eggplant (about 1 1/2 pounds), sliced into 1/2-inch-thick rounds
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup Italian-style breadcrumbs
1 pound fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
DIRECTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
- Put 2 tablespoons olive oil and the garlic in a large skillet and place over medium heat. When the garlic sizzles and its edges start to brown, add the tomatoes, red pepper flakes and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Bring to a simmer and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the chopped basil.
- Heat an 18-by-13-inch sheet pan in the oven for at least 10 minutes while you bread the eggplant. Line up 3 shallow dishes; fill one with the flour, one with the beaten eggs, and one with the breadcrumbs. Sprinkle both sides of the eggplant slices with salt. Dredge an eggplant slice in the flour (tapping off excess), then dip in the egg, and finally dredge it in the breadcrumbs. Repeat with the remaining eggplant.
- When all the eggplant slices are breaded, carefully remove the heated sheet pan from the oven and brush it with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Place the eggplant on the sheet pan in a single layer. Bake until the undersides are crisp and browned, 8 to 10 minutes, then flip the slices and continue baking until they are golden on the second side, 8 to 10 minutes more.
- Top the baked eggplant with the tomato sauce, mozzarella and Parmesan. Return the pan to the oven and bake, rotating halfway through, until the cheese melts and browns and the sauce is bubbly, 20 to 25 minutes. Top with torn basil before serving.
There you have it – my sheet plan meal suggestion for all of you who love eggplant parmesan. Same recipe you know and love but on a sheet pan! Thanks to our co-hosts at Canadian Cats and Easy Weimaraner for this fun monthly HOP! Can’t wait to see what you give us for next month’s challenge.