Eggplant Stacks
Basically Vertical Veggie Lasagna.
Full Recipe Video:
Servings: 3-4
Ingredients:
1 large eggplant
2 large eggs
2 cups Italian bread crumbs
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped fine
1 cup Locatelli Pecorino Romano
Salt & pepper to taste
Garlic powder to taste
Olive oil
2 cups marinara sauce
1 cup ricotta cheese
Parmesan cheese
Cut eggplant into thin circular slices, about 1/4” thick.
In a small/medium bowl, crack your eggs and whisk until scrambled.
In a large bowl, add bread crumbs, parsley, and Locatelli cheese, and lightly season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste. Stir all ingredients until combined.
One by one, coat your eggplant slices in the egg wash and then dredge in the breadcrumb mixture until fully coated. Place each coated slice on a foil covered large plate or baking sheet. (We cover in foil to avoid the mess).
Once all slices are coated, it’s time to start frying the eggplant slices. Coat a large frying pan with olive oil and turn heat to medium. Once your oil is hot, start placing your eggplant slices flat into the pan, and fry on each side until golden brown, typically about a couple minutes per side. As soon as they are golden on both sides, remove to your separate plate or baking sheet. Repeat until all slices are done.
In a small saucepan, add your marinara sauce and heat on the stove on low/medium until sauce is hot. If you’re using a jarred sauce, see our recipe here: How To Doctor a Jarred Sauce
In a medium bowl, add ricotta cheese and whip with a spoon until fluffy.
You’re now ready to start plating your dish. These can be served individually on an appetizer or dinner plate or on a serving platter side by side.
For each stack you are going to build, take a ladle of marinara sauce and spoon a thin layer (about the width of the eggplant slice) on the plate. Then, take one of your fried eggplant slices and spread a layer of ricotta cheese on one side. Place the slice, dry side down, on the plate on your layer of sauce. Add a small dollop of sauce on top of your ricotta cheese layer, and then add another eggplant slice on top. Repeat this process until you have 4 layers of eggplant. The top eggplant will be left dry - you will not add an additional coating of ricotta cheese. Top with a ladle full of marinara and then grate fresh parmesan cheese on top.
Repeat until all eggplant slices are used - a large eggplant should yield 3-4 stacks.
Notes:
We love these as an appetizer or main dish!
GoodCooking’s Picks:
Favorite Italian Bread Crumbs:
West Coast: Progresso Italian Bread Crumbs
East Coast: 4C Italian Bread Crumbs
