Ingredients:
Easy Marinara:
1 28 oz. can San Marzano tomatoes (whole or crushed)
4-6 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp. EVOO
1 sprig basil
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. sugar
Eggplant Parm Stacks:
2 medium eggplants, skinned and thinly sliced
2 cups (roughly) panko breadcrumbs
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 - 1 cup all purpose flour
3-4 large brown eggs
1/2 - 1 cup vegetable oil, for frying
16 oz. whole milk mozzarella, shredded
1/4 cup Parmigiano Reggiano, grated
1 tbsp. parsley, finely chopped
Directions:
Easy Marinara:
Add 2 tbsp. EVOO to a sauce pan over low heat. Stir in minced garlic and sauté for 2-3 minutes, until fragrant.
Add the San Marzano tomatoes, 1 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. sugar, and a sprig of basil. If you’re using whole tomatoes, use an immersion blender or potato masher to crush the tomatoes after 2-3 minutes. Stir and then let simmer over low heat for about 20 minutes.
Eggplant Parm Stacks:
Mix panko breadcrumbs, garlic power, onion powder and salt in shallow dish. In a second shallow dish, whisk 3-4 large brown eggs. In a third shallow dish, add about 1 cup of all purpose flour.
To bread the eggplant, dip both sides of the eggplant slice in the flour, egg and panko mixture, in that order.
In a large frying pan over medium heat, add vegetable oil and fry eggplants for about 2 minutes per side until golden brown in color, working in batches.
When the eggplant slices are golden brown, remove from the pan and place on a paper towel over a wire rack to remove excess oil.
Once all of the eggplant slices are cooked, assemble the eggplant parm stacks. To assemble, spread about 1/2 - 1 cup of marinara along the bottom of a rectangular baking dish (9 x 13 inches). Place the bottom layer of eggplant on top of the marinara. Spread about 2 tbsp. marinara on top of the eggplant slice and add about 2 tbsp. shredded mozzarella. Place another eggplant slice on top and continue until you have formed 8 eggplant parm stacks with 4-5 eggplant layers each. Top with more shredde mozzarella and sprinkle with Parmigiano Reggiano.
Bake on 350°F for about 20 minutes, then broil for 1-2 minutes on high until cheese begins to brown and bubble (be careful not to burn). Garnish with chopped parsley and serve!