VEGAN EGGPLANT PARMESAN

For some reason, eggplant accustomed intimidate Maine. Its floppy texture, neutral style, and apparently over-involved preparation strategies created Maine suppose it might be one thing I’d ne'er master. i used to be wrong.

Since obtaining my hands on my initial eggplant last year, it’s become one in every of my absolute favorite fruits (yes, fruit, even supposing it’s a vegetable in my book).

Two of my absolute favorite recipes utilizing eggplant are my Cashew-less vegetarian Queso and my Eggplant and Caramelized Onion Dip. It’s neutral flavor facilitate it absorb flavors extraordinarily well, and counting on however you cook it, its texture is extraordinarily versatile – from super creamy to super crisp. And during this very little gem of a formula, it’s crisp to the easy lay.

This formula was impressed by one in every of my favorite food bloggers, Izy from prime with Cinnamon. It’s straight out of her stunning new book of facts, prime With Cinnamon. though it’s not a vegetarian book of facts, it's tons of recipes which will be simply custom-made to a vegetarian diet. And once I ordered my eyes on her crisp aubergine pesto alimentary paste, I knew it absolutely was the one on behalf of me.

This formula took a number of tries to induce good sans egg, however i feel I’ve done it (simply)! It needs simply ten ingredients, employs simple strategies, and takes a touch over one hour from begin to end. it's a touch bit additional concerned than some savory meals I’ve deep-fried, however it’s one that John and that i each love and crave, therefore it’s well worth the overtime and effort!

Ingredients

EGGPLANT PARMESAN

• 1 medium eggplant (as narrow as possible)*
• 1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour (or other flour of choice - GF for gluten-free eaters)
• 1 cup panko bread crumbs (GF for gluten-free eaters)
• 2 Tbsp vegan parmesan (plus more for serving // or sub 1 Tbsp nutritional yeast per 2 Tbsp vegan parmesan)
• 1 tsp dried oregano (or sub 2 tsp fresh per 1 tsp dried)
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 cup unsweetened plain almond milk (or other neutral milk)
• 1 tsp cornstarch

PASTA + SAUCE

• 8 ounces pasta (such as linguini, but any kind will do, including veggie noodles or gluten-free)
• 2 cups marinara sauce

Instructions

1. Slice eggplant into thin rounds slightly less than 1/2 inch thick, and sprinkle each side liberally with sea salt. Arrange in a circular pattern in a colander and place in the sink to draw out the bitter taste of the eggplant.
2. Let rest for 15 minutes, then rinse and arrange on a clean absorbent kitchen towel. Top with another clean dish towel and lay a baking sheet on top. Place something heavy on top, such as a cast iron skillet, to thoroughly dry for at least 10 minutes.
3. In the meantime, preheat oven to 400 degrees F (204 C) and line a baking sheet with foil and spritz with nonstick spray. Also, if making pasta, bring water to a boil in a large saucepan.
4. Prepare your dipping stations by placing almond milk + cornstarch in one bowl; flour in another bowl; and bread crumbs + sea salt + oregano + vegan parmesan (or nutritional yeast) in another bowl.
5. Once thoroughly dry, dip eggplant slices in flour, then almond milk mixture, then breadcrumbs. Arrange on the baking sheet and pop in oven to bake for a total of 20-30 minutes.
6. IMPORTANT STEP: While the eggplant is in the oven, bring a large skillet to medium heat. Once hot, add 2 Tbsp olive oil (or sub avocado oil // amount as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size) and pull 3-4 eggplant rounds out of the oven at a time and sauté to give them extra crisp and texture. Cook for ~2 minutes on each side (or browned) and then return to oven to continue crisping. Do this in batches until all rounds are browned.
7. While eggplant is browning in the oven, prepare marinara. I prefer adding my tomato sauce and spices to a serving bowl and microwaving to warm, but you could also heat it on the stove. Set aside.
8. Once done cooking, drain pasta and cover with a towel to keep warm. Set aside.
9. To serve: Plate pasta and eggplant slices and marinara in a dish as a dipping sauce. Additional vegan parmesan cheese makes an excellent topper.
10. Leftovers don’t really reheat well, so it’s best when fresh. See notes for additional tips on crispy eggplant!

Recipe From : Minimalist Baker