Vic’s Tricks To…Eggplant Parmigiana

I love pretty much anything in red sauce.

Ever since I was a kid, smother it in red sauce and I’m just like so totally IN.

It helps that my great grandma’s sauce is like the best sauce in the world. Obviously.

I’ve posted that recipe in the Vic’s Tricks To…Barbara Family Marinara Sauce, so be sure to check it out!

But, for this we’re going to be keeping it simple. Since that’s just the way I roll.

One thing to note before we get started:

This recipe can be made Keto or Gluten Free by substituting almond flour & parmesan for the breadcrumbs.

That’s what I did in the pics you’ll see below and it came out FAB!!!

Preheat oven to 425°.

First thing’s first…we need to get some of the water out of this eggplant!

If not we’ll end up with a very soggy parmigiana. And is there anything sadder?!

So, we’ll use some salt to help draw out the moisture.

Cut the ends off the eggplant then cut the rest into 2 inch disks. Then lay out on a paper towel and sprinkle both sides with salt and set aside.

Next, we’ll get the sauce going, and like I said SIMPLE is key.

Vic Trick: Seriously, this is so simple YOU HAVE NO EXCUSE TO USE JARRED SAUCE. NONE. I don’t want to see it. Capisce?!

In a saucepot, add 2 tbsp of olive oil, a pinch of red pepper flakes, a tsp of oregano, and 2-3 (or 10) cloves of minced garlic and cook over medium high heat until fragrant, about 2 minutes.

Then add in a large can of crushed tomatoes. Crushed is really best here, but if you like a super smooth sauce you can use puréed.

Oh yea…I added some leftover bacon from my breakfast…

Give it a good stir and let it chillllll on low heat while you fry up the eggplant.

Get a large pan with tall edges and pour in enough canola oil that it lines the bottom about 1/2 inch. Set it over medium high heat.

OK now back to the eggplant. Wash off the salt and pat the disks dry with a fresh paper towel.

Now we’re going to hit them with the classic frying combo: Egg + Breadcrumb or Flour

Vic Trick: Typically you’d use an Italian seasoned breadcrumb here, but like I mentioned earlier, I made this semi-keto & gluten-free by replacing the breadcrumbs with a combination of almond flour and parmesan cheese. Still season it though!!!

Take the disks, dip it in the egg and shake off the excess. Then dip it into the flour, shake off the excess, and gently place into the hot oil.

Repeat with as many disks as you can fit in your pan without them touching and let them fry on one side for about 3-4 minutes or until nicely browned. Then flip and repeat on the other side.

When they’re done, remove them to a plate with a paper towel over it to soak the excess oil.

Repeat with the rest of the eggplant.

Now it’s assembly time!!!

Vic Trick: TASTE YOUR SAUCE! It probably needs a very generous pinch of salt and pepper.

In a baking dish of really any sort, spread some sauce on the bottom, then add some eggplant.

Cover it with cheese (I used a blend of mozzarella and parmesan).

Repeat each layer until you either use the eggplant or reach the top of the dish.

Then bake in the oven, uncovered, for about 15 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown on top.

LET IT COOL!!! Seriously this thing is like lava and it’ll totally fall apart if you try to scoop it too early.

Which I totally did cause I was impatient. Whoops.

But once that puppy is cooled you are DONE!!!

I served with a nice arugula & artichoke salad and it was deeeeelish. I’ll post that recipe soon too.

As always, if you give it a try, please tag me on Instagram @vics_tricks_to and comment/rate down below!

Happy Eating!

Give it a try and rate this recipe!