A Better Eggplant Parmesan

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Once oven has reach desired temperature, place two baking sheets inside the oven to preheat for about 5 – 7 minutes prior to cooking. When the baking sheets are hot, spray them with cooking spray before proceeding with eggplant placement.

Meanwhile, wash eggplants and slice them crosswise into rounds (not too thick, but not too thin).

Add salt and pepper to beaten egg and egg white mixture in a shallow bowl. Mix breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning in another shallow bowl.

Dredge eggplant in egg mixture and then into breadcrumb/cheese mixture. Continue with remaining eggplant, placing eggplant in a single layer on preheated baking sheets. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Flip the eggplant and continue to cook for an additional 15 minutes. Eggplant should be crispy and make a knocking sound when tapped lightly with a fork. Pardon my non-culinary terminology, but that’s the best way to describe it.

Once crisp, place about ½ cup of marinara sauce on bottom of 9 x 13 casserole dish. Overlap eggplant slices in several rows and cover with additional sauce and mozzarella cheese. Cook for an additional 15 minutes.

Garnish with fresh basil/parsley and serve over pasta or as a side dish.