Eggplant Parmigiana

For the tomato sauce:
Heat a small pot over medium heat and add olive oil, salt, pepper and chopped garlic. Allow the garlic to roast a little, around 6 minutes. Add the onion powder and mix. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook for around 10 minutes. Add a handful of chopped basil and turn the heat to low and cook for another 25 minutes. In the meantime, you can begin the eggplant preparation.

For the eggplant:
Prepare a deep pan with the olive oil and put over medium heat. Clean the eggplant and cut into very thin slices. Add flour to a flat, shallow bowl and add salt and pepper. Place the beaten eggs in a shallow dish. Dip the eggplant slices in a little flour and then the beaten eggs. Fry in the hot oil for around 3 minutes each side; be careful that they don’t burn. When they look done, drain and dry on a wire rack. Finish frying all of the eggplant.

Get out a casserole or lasagna dish and pour a thin layer of tomato sauce on the bottom of the dish. Then, add a layer of eggplant slices. Sprinkle a little Parmigiana on top, pour a little more sauce, a little Parmigiana and another layer of eggplant, and continue in this order until you’re finished with all of the ingredients, ending with a layer of eggplant. Top the final layer with tomato sauce, a sprinkle of Parmigiana and the mozzarella.

Bake in the oven at 350ºF until the top has become a beautiful golden brown. When it appears to be done, take it out and let it cool and set for at least 20 minutes. Slice and serve immediately! Buon appetito!