Eggplant Baked With Cheeses

Total Time: 1 hr 45 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 1 hr 25 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 2 lbs eggplants
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped fine
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• 1 lb tomato, chopped, with juice
• 3 fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, for coating
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, for frying
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated
• 14 ounces mozzarella cheese, sliced thin
• 1 dash salt
• 1 dash pepper

Recipe

• 1 cut eggplant into 1/2-inch slices, then sprinkle with salt & let drain about 1 hour.
• 2 to make the tomato paste, cook onion in oil until translucent, then stir in garlic & tomatoes (if using fresh tomatoes, add 3 tablespoons water).
• 3 season to taste, then add basil.
• 4 cook tomato paste 39 minutes, then puree.
• 5 pat eggplant slices dry, then coat lightly in flour.
• 6 heat a little oil in a large nonstick frying pan.
• 7 add one layer of eggplant & cook over low to moderate heat, with pan covered, until eggplant slices soften.
• 8 turn slices & cook on other side, then remove from pan & repeat with remaining slices.
• 9 preheat oven to 350 degrees f, & grease a wide, shallow baking dish.
• 10 spread a little tomato sauce in bottom of baking dish, then cover with a layer of eggplant.
• 11 sprinkle with a few teaspoons of parmesan, then season to taste with salt & pepper, & cover with a layer of mozzarella before spooning on more tomato sauce.
• 12 repeat until all ingredients are used up, ending with a layer of tomato sauce & a sprinkling of parmesan.
• 13 sprinkle with a little olive oil & bake abour 45 minutes, until golden & bubbling.
• 14 serve & enjoy!