Meatless Monday with Inside Out Eggplant Parmigiana

Happy Meatless Monday!  As you may or may not know, Miratel supports the Meatless Monday campaign which is a non-profit initiative in association with the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.  The purpose of the program is to reduce the consumption of animal products in favour of a plant-based diet to fight global warming and improve our personal health.  This week we bring a twist on an Italian classic Eggplant Parmigiana.

Cugina Povera is an Italian phrase which means “cooking of the poor” or “peasant cooking”.  The mentality behind Cugina Povera is to waste nothing and use what you have to transform quality, humble ingredients into simple culinary perfection.  I am always mindful of Cugina Povera when cooking and love recipes that follow suit and this is one of them.  It may seem like a lot of steps but each individual component can be made ahead of time and assembled for dinner the following day.

For Tomato Sauce:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 (14-ounce) can whole tomatoes in juice
1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon sugar
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil

For Eggplant Stacks:
2 (1-pound) eggplants
6 tablespoons olive oil, divided, plus additional for drizzling
3/4 cup plain dry bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1/2 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 garlic cloves, minced, divided
6 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon hot red-pepper flakes
1/2 pound arugula, coarse stems discarded, coarsely chopped
1 cup packed basil leaves, coarsely chopped
1/2 pound cold fresh mozzarella, ends trimmed and remainder cut into 4 (1/2-inch-thick) slices

Make tomato sauce:
Heat oil in a heavy medium saucepan over medium heat until it shimmers, then cook onion and garlic, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 6 minutes.  Meanwhile, blend tomatoes with juice in a blender until almost smooth. Add to onion mixture in saucepan with water, sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt and simmer, partially covered, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Stir in basil and keep warm, covered.

Bake eggplant:
Preheat oven to 450°F with rack in lowest position.  Cut 12 (1/3-inch-thick) rounds from widest portion of eggplants. Brush both sides with 2 tablespoons oil and season with 1/2 teaspoon salt (total). Bake on an oiled baking sheet, turning once, until golden and tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Transfer to a plate and keep warm, covered. Leave oven on.

Make egg patties and sauté arugula:
Stir together bread crumbs, parmesan, parsley, half of garlic, and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper, then stir in eggs and water.  Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat until it shimmers. Drop 4 rounded 1/3 cups of egg mixture into skillet and cook, turning once, until patties are golden brown and puffed, about 5 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain.

Add remaining tablespoon oil to skillet and cook remaining garlic with red-pepper flakes, stirring, until garlic is golden, about 30 seconds. Add arugula and basil and stir until just wilted, then stir in 1/8 teaspoon salt.

Assemble stacks:

Arrange 4 egg patties about 3 inches apart on a baking sheet. Top each with 2 Tbsp tomato sauce, 1 slice mozzarella, 1 eggplant slice, 2 more tablespoons tomato sauce, another eggplant slice, arugula mixture, and remaining eggplant. Bake until cheese melts, 5 to 10 minutes. Drizzle with additional oil and serve remaining sauce on the side.

If you haven’t already (and are so inclined) join the movement by signing up online at MeatlessMonday.com.   Every week you have another opportunity to jump on board.  So join us and enjoy!

Thanks to Epicurious.com for sharing this delicious recipe.