Cheesy Eggplant Stacks sound indulgent, but they’re really just a refinement of our garden bounty. Eggplant, tomatoes, and basil – it may be challenging to come up with new and interesting ways to prepare them when the abundance is overwhelming and you feel you’ve explored every variation on the theme – pasta, caponata, ratatouille… But toward that end, I present to you Cheesy Eggplant Stacks!
Cheesy Eggplant Stacks are another one of those dishes that I assemble from elements that I’ve already prepared – Chunky Red Pepper Marinara and Basil Pesto, but in this dish, it’s the eggplant that shines. I absolutely love eggplant if it’s prepared properly – this eggplant is creamy inside and crunchy on the exterior, and not at all greasy. This dish isn’t as much trouble as Eggplant Rollatini, but it’s just as enticing, just as tasty, just as satisfying. Enjoy.
Cheesy Eggplant Stacks
Equipment
- large Silpat-lined baking sheet
Ingredients
- 2 large eggplants
- kosher salt
- 2 cups marinara
- 6 ounces fresh mozzarella
- ½ pint basil pesto
- ½ cup sourdough breadcrumbs
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese (divided)
- fresh parsley
- fresh chives
Instructions
- Prep – Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Prep the eggplant – Trim each eggplant and slice into 1" rounds. Sprinkle each eggplant round (both sides) with kosher salt and lay on paper towels or baking rack for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes pat each round dry with a paper towel. Dip each eggplant slice into flour. Shake off as much flour as you can, then dip into lightly beaten egg. Finally, combine the sourdough breadcrumbs and ¼ cup grated Parmesan, then press this mixture onto each side of each eggplant slice. Lay the rounds out on the baking sheet and bake 20 minutes total, ten minutes per side. Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes.
- Stack– Top one eggplant slice with one slice of fresh mozz, 2 T marinara sauce and one T basil pesto. Continue one or two more times, stacking as you go. Sprinkle the tope with Parmesan.
- Bake – Return to oven and bake for 15-20 minutes until heated through and the mozzarella is melty. While the stacks are baking, mince the chives and parsley, and warm the remaining marinara in the microwave.
- Garnish and Serve – Pour a puddle of marinara in the bottom of each individual serving bowl and place a stack (or two!) in the center. Sprinkle each stack with a generous amount of minced chives and parsley. Serve right away.
INGREDIENT NOTE: The type of mozzarella you buy does make a difference. You could sub out the fresh mozzarella with shredded mozz, and it would still be delicious. In either case, I recommend that you don’t opt for skim or lowfat cheese because it will be rubbery rather than milky and creamy, which is really what you need in this dish.
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