I used to saute slices of eggplant (after salting and letting stand to get the moisture out.) This was after dipping in an egg mixture and breadcrumbs. It was always delicious and I often added browned sausage meat the sauce. I learned this technique watching my then mother-in-law.
After visiting our yummy produce market here in our Florida community of Verandah, I took home a beautiful fresh eggplant. I decided to look up a recipe online and happened upon Martha's. I was skeptical, but it is delicious and I've adapted it somewhat. My next trip to Produce Buddies, I bought two medium eggplants and used the same amount of ricotta, sauce, cheese, etc. You want a full, rich eggplant dish! (You can use two large.)
Place slices of the eggplant in the bottom of a baking dish and then cover with a large jar of your own or store-bought favorite marinara (mushrooms might be yummy!) Then cover with the ricotta mixture below. Repeat and place sliced provolone or mozzarella in the middle. Repeat the first and second layers for four layers of eggplant. Cover with a bit of sauce and a few spoonfuls of ricotta mixture. Cover with an Italian blend of cheeses or just parmesan. Bake at 375 degrees for about 20-30 minutes until bubbling.
Ricotta Mixture:
1-1/2 to 2 cups ricotta
3-4 T fresh oregano or 2 T dried
1/2 tsp pepper and 1-1/2 tsp salt (to taste)
3-4 eggs, beaten
For Martha's recipe, click here and search for Eggplant Ricotta Bake
