Election Night Roasted Eggplant Parmigiana

Or should I call this 'Good Luck Eggplant Parmigiana'? I won't gloat, but this dish definitely made an excellent night for me even better (#4moreyears).

Karl was out of town on election night, leaving me to sweat it out by myself. I knew that I needed something comforting but also easy because I planned on being glued to CNN all evening. I also wanted it to be healthier than the usual fried version of this dish.

The results were delicious, just like the election. Enjoy!

What you'll need*:
1 large eggplant
cooking spray
tomato sauce (a few cups)
pecorino romano cheese
fresh mozzarella (Don't bother using the shredded variety. This really makes the dish - I used 4 oz)
A few fresh basil leaves
**As I mentioned, I made this dish for just myself so this recipe doesn't make very much. I recommend doubling the recipe if you are making it for more than one person... because you will want leftovers.

How to do it:

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. Thinly slice the eggplant. Many recipes recommend that you peel the eggplant and salt it for at least 30 minutes before breading and frying. Since I wanted something easier and healthier I skipped all of that. And, you know what? I may never do it the more complicated way again.

Spray your sheet pan with the cooking spray and coat both sides of the eggplant with cooking spray, salt & pepper. I used two pans for one large eggplant. You may need to roast in batches if you're doubling the recipe.

Roast the eggplant for about 20 minutes. You will need to watch it pretty carefully and turn the slices a few times to ensure even cooking. You want them to end up looking something like this:

Now it's time to assemble. Lower the oven heat to 350 degrees. Put a thin layer of tomato sauce at the bottom of the casserole, layer eggplant slices, more sauce, some grated pecorino romano cheese, sliced fresh mozzarella and basil. Continue with the layers until you use everything up.

As is the case for most dishes, the quality of your ingredients really matters here. It's simple to make but it won't be nearly as good if you use jarred sauce and shredded mozzarella from a plastic bag. I make my own sauce every couple of weeks and I usually have some available in the fridge or freezer. It is easier, cheaper and more delicious than buying the processed kind. I'll post the recipe next time I make it.

I bought a large 8 oz ball of fresh mozzarella but you could also get a tub of the mini mozzarella balls (bocconcini).

Once you're all assembled, cover the dish with tin foil and bake for about 30 minutes. Remove the tin foil for the last 10 minutes or so.

Let it rest for about 5 minutes before serving so it can set up a bit. I served it with pasta. It will also be great leftover... particularly on a nice roll with some extra cheese.

Enjoy!