Summer is over and we are seeing the last of the summer vegetables, like eggplant and tomatoes. I love eggplant parmesan, but I don’t love how long it takes to make it. This recipe, which is based on a recipe for eggplant pizza found here, does not call for the step of breading and frying the eggplant before baking it with cheese and marinara sauce. It is also healthier as well. In making the marinara sauce, I used a couple of tomatoes from the Fair Ridge Farms CSA share as well as some bottled marinara sauce.
To make this dish, begin with one eggplant (or two if you have them). Slice the eggplant to about a quarter inch thickness. Salt both sides of the eggplant slices and let them sit for about a half an hour. Then brush each slice with olive oil and roast in the oven at 400 degrees, turning halfway through, until both sides are browned.
Meanwhile, while the eggplant is roasting, slice garlic and seeded, peeled, and chopped tomatoes, and saute over medium heat in a little olive oil. (To peel the tomatoes, place whole tomatoes in boiling water for 2-3 minutes. Let cool and the skin should come right off. Then chop and seed.)
Prepare pasta.
Add additional bottled or homemade marinara sauce to the tomatoes along with any seasoning you would like.
When eggplant slices are sufficiently roasted, remove from oven and increase the oven temperature to 450 degrees. Spread marinara sauce on the eggplant slices and add fresh mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese. Place in the oven for 5-10 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
Serve with pasta and marinara sauce. Enjoy!
We love recipes! To share your recipe, send it along with a photo to megan@fairridgefarms.com. We are also on Pinterest. If you would like to add recipes to our CSA recipe board, please email me.
