Eggplant Parmesan Redux
6
servings
Main
Course
Print Recipe
Ingredients
Directions
Bread Crumbs
2 tbsp
olive oil
1 ½ c
panko bread crumbs
2 tbsp
freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Eggplant
2 md
eggplants
¼ c
olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 c
Roasted Red Pepper Tomato Sauce (recipe follows)
¼ c
freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Fresh basil, for garnish
Roasted Red Pepper Tomato Sauce
2 tbsp
olive oil
1 lg
yellow onion, coarsely chopped
4
garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
¼ tsp
red pepper flakes, preferably Calabrian
4
jarred roasted red bell peppers, drained, patted dry, and chopped
2
(28-ounce) cans plum tomatoes and juices, crushed with your hands
¼ c
chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
3 tbsp
finely chopped fresh basil
1 tbsp
finely chopped fresh oregano
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
In Bobby Flay Fit, the famed chef shares his favorite dishes adapted for a healthier lifestyle.
In Italy, eggplant Parmesan is actually a rather healthy dish of eggplant sautéed in olive oil and then layered in a simple tomato sauce with fresh herbs and a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese. We Americans were the ones to coat that eggplant in breading, deep-fry it, and weight it down even further with pools of mozzarella. I’ve titled this recipe Eggplant Parmesan Redux, but actually, this is the way it was meant to be.
Directions
- Make the bread crumbs: In a large nonstick pan, heat the oil over medium heat until it begins to shimmer. Add the bread crumbs and cook, stirring constantly, until pale golden brown, about 4 minutes. Remove to a bowl and stir in the cheese, lemon zest, and salt and pepper to taste.
- Roast the eggplant: Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper and divide the eggplant between the 2 pans in a single layer. Brush both sides with the oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake, turning once, until golden brown on both sides and tender, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 375°F.
- Spread ¼ cup of the sauce into a 9-inch square baking dish. Add a layer of eggplant, another ¼ cup of the sauce, more eggplant, and a little of the cheese, and repeat until all of the ingredients have been used.
- Put the baking dish on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until the sauce begins to bubble, about 30 minutes. Sprinkle the bread crumbs evenly over the top, return to the oven, and bake until the crumbs are golden brown, 10 minutes longer.
- Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with basil.
Roasted Red Pepper Tomato Sauce
- In a large Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add the onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for 1 minute. Add the roasted red peppers and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the tomatoes, bring to a boil, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened and reduced by half, about 30 minutes.
- Transfer the mixture to a food processor and process until smooth. Return the mixture to the pot, add the parsley, basil, and oregano, and season with salt and pepper. Simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. Use immediately or let cool and then cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days.
Reprinted from Bobby Flay Fit. Copyright © 2017 by Boy Meets Grill, Inc. Photographs copyright © 2017 by Ed Anderson. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, an imprint of Penguin Random House, LLC.
