This is a favorite of many people when it comes to Italian food. My Dad could eat it all the time if he could! It’s really a simple recipe, it just takes time to prepare. I found a copy of this recipe in my mother’s handwriting. It was written on a calendar planner page from December 31, 1953, 7 months after she married my Dad! It’s pretty wild to find a handwritten recipe from over 50 years ago! I am not sure where the recipe originally came from but I am going to guess it came from Nana, my Dad’s mother. I also notice that the eggplant is not breaded before frying making it a little different from most versions of the recipe!

INGREDIENTS:

1 large eggplant or 1 small ones

1 cup olive oil

1 ¼ cups of your favorite tomato based sauce (I use marinara sauce)

3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

½ pound mozzarella cheese, sliced thin

DIRECTIONS:

1. Peel eggplant and cut into thin slices (round).

2. Fry in oil until brown and drain well on paper towels.

3. Place 1 layer of fried eggplant into a casserole dish (square 8×8 is good for this recipe), cover with sauce, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and place a layer of mozzarella cheese on top of that. Repeat procedure until all eggplant is used, ending with mozzarella cheese.

4. Bake in pre-heated 400º oven for 15 minutes. Serve hot. Serve with extra parmesan cheese for top.

Serves 4

**Coming Next Wednesday: Stuffed Plantains!