Meatless March Meal #15: Eggplant Parmigiana

I think I'd give this one a 6 out of 10, but only because I didn't cook it long enough. My husband said he loved it and would definitely have it again, but that we should have cooked it a little longer. And we probably should have cut it a little thinner. But alas, we did not, but fortunately, YOU can learn from our mistakes and hopefully make an amazing eggplant parmigiana!

P.S. This made a lot for the two of us, so expect some leftovers if you're only feeding 2 or 3 people. {Original recipe found here.}

Eggplant Parmigiana with Angel Hair pasta

Ingredients: }} prep time: 40 minutes }} Cook time: 35 minutes

2/3 c breadcrumbs

2 T Parmesan cheese

2 t Italian seasoning

1/2 t garlic powder

1 medium-sized eggplant

Salt

3 egg whites, beaten

3 c tomato sauce {recipe below}

Shredded mozzarella cheese

1 med onion, chopped

2 large cloves garlic, minced

Olive oil

Angel hair pasta, cooked

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 13x9 pan and set aside. Combine breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder. Mix and set aside.

2. Peel skin from eggplant, and cut into 1/2" to 1/4" sized slices {we cut them too thick and didn't cook them long enough, so I would suggest closer to the 1/4" thicknesses}. Place them flat on a cookie sheet and sprinkle with salt. Wait 20-30 minutes for the eggplant to "sweat." {You can't really tell, but on the right picture, the eggplant has water droplets all over it--that's what it means to "sweat" the eggplant.}

3. Put the egg yolks in a small bowl and whisk for a minute. Then dip each eggplant slice into the egg yolks, into the breadcrumb mixture, and put them on a cookie sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes on each side {flip once while in the oven}.

4. While your eggplants are cooking, it's time to make your tomato sauce! Heat olive oil in a deep skillet. Saute the onions and garlic until browned. Then add the tomato sauce.

5. Take your now-cooked eggplant and make a row on your 13x9 pan, pour half of the tomato sauce on top, and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Make another layer on top and pour the remaining tomato sauce on and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.

As you can see, Jordan likes a lot more cheese than I do.

6. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbling. Now would also be a good time to start that Angel Hair pasta {and peas and corn if you want those as well}.

Now all you have to do is serve it up and enjoy!