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Ingredients
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Amt.
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Measure
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Ingredient
| | | | 2 | cans (28 fl oz) | tomatoes canned, whole | 2 | tablespoons | olive oil | 3/4 | large | Onion, finely chopped | 2 | clove | garlic minced | 1/2 | teaspoon | oregano, dried | 2 1/3 | glasses (3.5 fl oz) | red wine, dry, ie. Merlot or Chianti | 3 | tablespoons | fresh basil, chopped | 1 | tablespoon | olive oil, extra virgin | 1/3 | tablespoon | salt, to taste | 1/3 | tablespoon | black pepper, to taste | 2 | tablespoons | sugar, to taste | 2 | tablespoons | Oil, vegetable, sunflower or any frying oil | 2 1/2 | eggplant, unpeeled (approx 1-1/4 lb) | Eggplant (Slice 1/4\" Thick), sliced lengthwise | 1 | cup | all-purpose flour, unbleached | 4 | large | eggs | 1 | cup | Italian seasoned bread crumbs | 4 | cups | Marinara sauce | 4 1/8 | cups, shredded | mozzarella cheese, dry | 4 | packages (5 oz) | romano cheese grated |
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Steps
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Sequence
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Step
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| | 1 | Marinara Sauce
Pour the tomatoes and the juice into a strainer set over a large bowl. Open the tomatoes with your hands and remove and discard the fibrous cores.
Let the tomatoes drain the excess liquid for about 5 minutes.
Remove 3/4 cup of the tomatoes from the strainer and set aside.
Reserve 2 1/2 cups of the tomato juice and discard the remainder. | | 2 | heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat until shimmering.
Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally until softened and golden around the edges, 6 - 8 minutes.
Add the garlic and oregano and cook, stirring constantly, until the garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds. | | 3 | Add the tomatoes from the strainer and increase the heat to medium-high.
Cook, stirring every minute, until the liquid has evaporated and the tomatoes begin to stick to the bottom of the pan and a brown fond forms around the edges, 10 - 12 minutes.
Add the wine and cook until thick and syrupy, about 1 minute.
Add the reserved tomato juice and bring to a simmer; reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally and loosening the browned bits, until the sauce is thick, 8 - 10 minutes. | | 4 | Transfer the sauce to a food processor (or to a saucepan and use an immersion blender), add the reserved tomatoes; process until slightly chunky.
Return the sauce to the skillet and add the basil, salt, pepper and sugar to taste. | | 5 | Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Heat the vegetable oil in a large pan or Dutch oven. | | 6 | Peel the eggplant and slice into 1/4" slices. Coat each slice of the eggplant with the flour.
In a separate bowl beat the eggs and dip the eggplant into the egg to coat both sides.
Take the eggplant and dip in the breadcrumbs to coat both sides. | | 7 | Once the oil is hot, put the eggplant in the hot oil and fry until golden brown.
Once the eggplant has been fried, get a rectangular baking pan and start layering by adding the marinara sauce to the bottom of the pan, then the eggplant, more sauce, mozzarella, romano cheese, and continuing to layer until you hav reached the top of the pan.
Top off with sauce, mozzarella and romano cheese. | | 8 | Place in the oven and cook for 20 - 25 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbly. |
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