Eggplant Parmesan
Servings: 4
Ingredients
EGGPLANT PARMESAN
- 2 medium eggplants as narrow as possible
- 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour or other flour of choice – GF for gluten-free eaters
- 2 cup panko breadcrumbs GF for gluten-free eaters
- 4 tbsp vegan parmesan cheese plus more for serving // or sub 1 tbsp nutritional yeast per 2 tbsp vegan parmesan
- 2 tsp dried oregano or double the amount if using fresh oregano
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 cup unsweetened plain almond milk or other neutral milk
- 2 tsp cornstarch
PASTA & SAUCE
- 16 oz pasta such as linguini, but any kind will do, including veggie noodles or gluten-free
- 4 cups marinara sauce
Instructions
- Slice eggplant into thin rounds slightly less than 1/2 inch thick, and sprinkle each side liberally with sea salt. Arrange in a circular pattern in a colander and place in the sink to draw out the bitter taste of the eggplant.
- Let rest for 15 minutes, then rinse and arrange on a clean absorbent kitchen towel. Top with another clean dish towel and lay a baking sheet on top. Place something heavy on top, such as a cast iron skillet to thoroughly dry for at least 10 minutes.
- In the meantime, preheat oven to 400 ℉ and line a baking sheet with foil and spritz with nonstick spray. Also, if making pasta, bring water to a boil in a large saucepan.
- Prepare your dipping stations by placing almond milk + cornstarch in one bowl; flour in another bowl; and breadcrumbs + sea salt + oregano + vegan parmesan (or nutritional yeast) in another bowl.
- Once thoroughly dry, dip eggplant slices in flour, then almond milk mixture, then breadcrumbs. Arrange on the baking sheet and pop in oven to bake for a total of 20-30 minutes.
- IMPORTANT STEP: While the eggplant is in the oven, bring a large skillet to medium heat. Once hot, add 2 tbsp olive oil (or sub avocado oil // adjust amount if altering default number of servings) and pull 3-4 eggplant rounds out of the oven at a time and saute to give them extra crisp and texture. Cook for ~2 minutes on each side (or browned) and then return to oven to continue crisping. Do this in batches until all rounds are browned.
- While eggplant is browning in the oven, prepare marinara.
- Once done cooking, drain pasta and cover with a towel to keep warm. Set aside.
- To serve: Plate pasta and eggplant slices and marinara in a dish as a dipping sauce. Additional vegan parmesan cheese makes an excellent topper.
Notes
Source:
Vegan Eggplant Parmesan | Minimalist Baker Recipes
(https://minimalistbaker.com/vegan-eggplant-parmesan/)