Eggplant Tower Recipes

EGGPLANT TOWER

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 385 degrees F.
• Prepare baking sheet with parchment and lightly spray with non-stick cooking spray.
• Slice eggplant into slices, about 1/4 inch or 1 centimeter thick.
• Arrange slices on baking sheet. Pour over olive oil and toss them around to coat them.
• Bake in oven for 15 minutes. Turn them over, and bake for another 10 minutes. Remove and allow to cool.
• Put a new piece of parchment on baking sheet. Apply a think coat of non-stick cooking spray.
• Put a spoonful of tomato sauce for each tower. This recipe makes two.
• Choose your largest eggplant slice and put it on top of tomato sauce.
• Add tomato sauce on top, then sprinkle with Fontina cheese, then sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Repeat until you use up all of the eggplant slices.
• To the top layer, sprinkle with Romano cheese.
• Raise oven temperature to 400 degrees F.
• Bake eggplant towers for 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

EGGPLANT PARMESAN TOWERS

Steps:

• To make a quick marinara sauce, place a saucepot over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds more. Pour in the red wine and cook for 1 minute to reduce. Using your hands or a potato masher, crush the tomatoes and add to the saucepot, including any juices from the can. Stir to combine. Add 1 whole stem of fresh basil leaves. Bring the sauce to a simmer and reduce the heat to medium low. Allow the sauce to continuing cooking while the rest of the components are prepared.
• Pour the vegetable oil into a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot and attach a deep-frying thermometer. Heat the oil over medium heat to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with paper towels and top with a cooling rack.
• Set up 3 low-sided dishes to make a breading station: To the first dish, add the flour, Italian seasoning and garlic powder. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper and stir to combine. In the second dish, beat the eggs. To the third dish, add the breadcrumbs.
• Dredge both sides of the eggplant slices in the seasoned flour, shaking each piece to remove any excess. Next, dip the eggplant slices into the egg, allowing it to drip before moving onto the third dish. Then, coat the eggplant in the breadcrumbs evenly on both sides.
• Working in batches, carefully place the breaded eggplant into the hot oil. Fry until golden brown and crispy, about 30 seconds per side. Transfer to the cooling rack on the baking sheet. Sprinkle each slice generously with kosher salt. Continue this process until all the eggplant rounds have been fried.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Remove the basil stem from the marinara sauce.
• Remove the paper towels from the baking sheet. Build towers on the cooling rack: Top a slice of eggplant with 1 tablespoon of marinara sauce, 1 tablespoon mozzarella, 1 tablespoon Parmesan and 1 basil leaf. Place a second piece of eggplant on top and repeat this process. Top the tower with a third piece of eggplant and repeat only with sauce, mozzarella and Parmesan (no basil). Repeat this process to create 8 towers on the cooling rack.
• Bake until the cheese is melted and slightly browned on top, about 20 minutes. Transfer the towers to a serving platter. Garnish each eggplant tower with a fresh basil leaf and serve immediately.

CRISPY EGGPLANT PARMESAN STACKS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• Sprinkle both sides of eggplant rounds generously with salt; place on baking sheet for 15 minutes to draw out moisture. Use paper towels to blot moisture from each side of the eggplant slices. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.
• Whisk eggs in a shallow bowl. Place panko bread crumbs in a second bowl. Dip each side of the eggplant slices in the whisked eggs, then press into the panko crumbs to coat each side. Place slices on a cooling rack on a baking sheet.
• Spray the tops of eggplant generously with cooking spray. Bake 8 minutes in preheated oven. Turn each slice, and spray the other side with cooking spray. Bake an additional 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool slightly.
• Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees (175 degrees C).
• To make the stacks: Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place a large slice of eggplant on the parchment. Top with a spoonful of Ragu® Old World Style® Traditional Sauce and a slice of mozzarella. Place another slice of eggplant on the first; repeat the layering process until you have about 5 or 6 slices in a stack. Top with a generous layer of parmesan cheese.
• Bake stacks until the cheese has melted, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes. Serve warm.

EGGPLANT MOZZARELLA TOWER

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• For marinara, in a small saucepan over medium heat, warm oil and sauté onion for 4 mins or until translucent .Add garlic and sauté, stirring continually do not brown .Add tomatoes and herbs and season with salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for 10mins set aside.
• Season eggplant slices with salt and pepper, and dredge in flour, shaking off the excess. Next dip each slice in egg, then in the bread crumbs. Set aside.
• In large skillet heat vegetable oil over high heat until very hot. Sauté eggplant one slice at a time until golden brown.
• Places the cooked sliced on a baking sheet,.
• Top each with a tomato slices and sprinkle with mozzarella. Bake for 10mins until golden brown and cheese is melted.
• To serve stack three eggplant / tomato slices on each plate. Garnish with some basil spoon marinara around eggplant tower.