Eggplant Parmigana

A couple of  weeks ago my husband and I had dinner at a lovely Italian restaurant.

The eggplant was a disappointment.
So I had to make it for dinner to remind us how yummy it really is.

First, beat two eggs in a shallow bowl (I used a cereal bowl).

Next, place 1 cup flour into another bowl.
I added some seasonings to mine:  salt, pepper, rosemary, basil, and some bread crumbs.

Now, wash and peel your eggplant.

You can see how quickly they begin to brown.
Next, slice it into slices that are 1/4 to 3/8 inches thick.

Dip each slice of eggplant into the egg, being sure to coat both sides.

Then do the same thing in the flour.

Continue until every slice is covered with flour.

Heat some oil  and butter in a frying pan.

When the pan is hot, gently place each slice of eggplant in the pan.

Let it cook until it looks like this when you flip it over.

Mmm.

While you are cooking the eggplant, boil some water and cook a little pasta.
My husband picked fettuccine noodles this time.

In a small saucepan, I also opened some garlic and herb spaghetti sauce and began to heat it.

When the pasta is al dente, drain it.

Remove the eggplant from the heat as soon as it is cooked on both sides, and assemble your dish.

Tonight, I first put pasta on a plate, then eggplant followed by your sauce and Italian cheese.  Garnish with Italian parsley.

Delicious!  You want some?

The thing to remember about dishes such as this is how inexpensive they are.
Because this is a meatless dish, the cost per serving is incredibly low.   I love summer barbecues, but sometimes I feel like we end up eating too much meat.   Dishes like this are nice to rotate into the mix.  It’s also a great way to take advantage of summer produce.
Try it!

Hopeful Homemaker’s Eggplant Parmigana

1 eggplant 2 eggs 1 cup flour 1 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. pepper 1/2 tsp. dried rosemary 1/2 tsp. dried basil 2 Tb. dried bread crumbs 1 Tb. oil 8 ounces pasta of your choice 2 cups spaghetti sauce 1 cup Italian blend shredded cheese Italian parsley (for garnish, if desired)

Beat eggs in small bowl.  In separate bowl, combine flour and seasonings.
Wash, peel and slice eggplant into 1/4 to 3/8 inch slices.
Dip each slice of eggplant in to egg mixture and then into flour mixture.
In frying pan, heat 1 Tb. oil.  Gently place eggplant into pan.
Turn when golden brown, and remove from heat.
Boil pasta until it reaches desired tenderness.  Heat spaghetti sauce.
Place pasta on plate, drizzle with spaghetti squash and 2 Tb. cheese.
Place 2 slices eggplant on top of pasta, drizzle again with sauce and sprinkle with more cheese.
Garnish with Italian parsley.  Enjoy!