Put your other recipes away and try this delicious eggplant stack. It’s a full meal and goes great with a side of spaghetti or just on it’s own as an appetizer. It is so delicious, you can’t eat just one.

INGREDIENT:

  • 2 large eggplants (cut into 1/2 inch thick slices)
  • Salt
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil (more as needed)
  • 1 cup parmesan cheese (grated)
  • 1 – 8 oz. package shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1 -25 oz. Jar Rao’s spaghetti sauce (or favorite brand)
  • 1 lb. ricotta
  • Fresh basil leaves, chopped
  • Parchment paper

DIRECTIONS: (Plan ahead, has to sit in refrigerator overnight)

First: Lightly salt the sliced eggplants on both sides and place them in a bowl. Refrigerate overnight or up to 6 hours. After sitting in refrigerator, remove from bowl and rinse well. Line slices on paper towels and blot all excess water.

When ready to cook, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare 2 large cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone. Divide the eggplant slices between the two baking sheets. Brush or spray them with olive oil on both sides. Roast at 400 degrees for 25 minutes. (My two eggplants made 36 slices of various size, with 3 slices each stack, I made 13 stacks). Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees.

After taking the eggplant out of the oven, make stacks of three, matching up the appropriate sizes of the eggplant rounds. On the bottom eggplant slices, sprinkle with parmesan cheese, followed by 1/2 teaspoon of ricotta, then some fresh shredded mozzarella. Then add a tablespoon of tomato sauce, and sprinkle some torn fresh basil leaves. Add the second slice of eggplant and repeat the same layering process. Place the third eggplant slice on top, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, 1/2 teaspoon of ricotta, tablespoon of spaghetti sauce, and top with the shredded mozzarella. (Last layer put the sauce first then mozzarella).

Bake at 350 degrees until the cheese is melted, about 20 to 25 minutes. Take out of the oven and let cool around 10 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped fresh basil leaves and serve. Serves 6 as appetizers (2 per person) 4 as entree (3 person)