Eggplant Parmesan Revisited
I got a lot of positive feedback on my eggplant Parmesan recipe when I published it Aug. 26.
In fact, I’m still getting feedback. The latest is from DD Hellebush.
Here is what she had to say:
My husband and I became obsessed this summer with your eggplant parmasan recipe. We fixed a version of it every week until our eggplants and basil ran out! I thought you might be interested in my final version that is more mozzerella than parm, and adds whole wheat orzo to bulk it up as a main dish. We send an annual recipe card every year with our Christmas cards and your/our dish was this year’s pick.
Now, it was flattering to know that the Hellenbushes liked the dish enough to send it out as the year’s pick with their Christmas cards.
More interesting, though, was the most significant change she made to it: adding pasta, and whole-wheat pasta, to boot.
I also liked DD’s choice or tiny orzo, which are rice-shaped pasta. The size allows the pasta to spread through the dish, and allows diners to get just a little pasta along with the eggplant, cheese, etc. in every bite.
She avoids an extra dirty pot by cooking the orzo right in the tomato sauce. That has an added benefit of helping the tomato sauce thicken. Note that the orzo will be only partially cooked when you assemble the dish. The orzo will finish cooking in the oven.
Here is DD’s adaptation of my recipe:
Fresh Basil & Eggplant Mozzarella
9 Roma tomatoes, halved
1 large or 2 small eggplants, peeled & sliced
½ small onion, diced
1clove garlic, diced
1 cup, or more, fresh basil, coarsely chopped
8 oz. fresh mozzarella, sliced
½ cup Parmesan cheese
¾ cup uncooked whole-wheat orzo
Tabasco, salt, pepper and olive oil
1. Place halved tomatoes on baking sheet and drizzle with
olive oil and s & p. Broil for 10 to 12 minutes.
2. Sauté onion and garlic, add coarsely chopped, broiled, and
and peeled tomatoes and Tabasco and cook until thick, about
10 to 15 minutes Add orzo half-way through cooking the sauce.
Stir basil into thickened sauce.
3. Meanwhile, broil eggplant slices 12 minutes, until browned.
In a 9-by-9 casserole, make 2 layers of eggplant, mozzarella,
and tomato/orzo sauce. Top with parmesan cheese
Bake at 375 for 20 minutes. Let stand before serving.
