All plants are created equal…except the eggplant. The eggplant is like that certain someone who hasn’t updated his or her hairdo since the ’80s. Out of touch! And eggplant parm is the dish that EVERYONE thinks you eat as a vegetarian/vegan. Every time someone at a dinner says, “Don’t worry I made something for you,” it’s either quinoa or eggplant parm. Clearly I’ve been the guest at these dinner parties far too many times, which is why you won’t find quinoa anywhere near these pages and why my eggplant parm has been given a serious makeover. If you deep-fry anything, smother it in homemade tomato sauce, and serve it with pasta, well, now it’s palatable. This dish has a new ’do and it’s ready for date night!
Ingredients
Prep Ahead
- The Red Sauce
- The Parm
Cheese Sauce and Saucy Spaghetti
- 1 large eggplant
- 1½ teaspoons sea salt
- 1 teaspoon plus 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¾ cup unsweetened nondairy milk
- 1 tablespoon tapioca flour
- 1 teaspoon nutritional yeast
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
- 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 pound spaghetti
- 6 cups The Red Sauce
Fried Eggplant and Garnishes
- 2 cups vegetable oil, for frying
- 1 cup bread crumbs
- ½ cup The Parm
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup unsweetened nondairy milk
- Fresh finely chopped basil, for garnish (optional)
- The Parm
- Ground pepper
How to Make It
- To make the cheese sauce, trim the stem and a small part of the base of the eggplant. Peel the entire eggplant, if desired. I like leaving the skin on for color, but it’s a personal preference. Cut eight ½-inch-thick slices from the large base of the eggplant, these will be the eggplant parm rounds. Peel the remaining eggplant if you didn’t peel the whole thing and cut into 5 or 6 slices of the same thickness. These slices will be used for making the cheese sauce.
- Lay all the slices on wire racks or place in a colander and sprinkle on both sides with 1 teaspoon of the salt. Let the eggplant sit for 20 minutes to release moisture. Gently squeeze excess moisture out by pressing each slice with a clean towel or paper towels.
- Sauté the 5 or 6 smaller slices for the cheese sauce in a skillet in the 1 teaspoon olive oil over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes until very soft, lightly browned, and completely cooked through. Remove from the pan and add to a high-powered blender with the 1 tablespoon olive oil, the remaining ½ teaspoon salt, and the remaining ingredients. Blend until very smooth. Adjust the salt to taste, if necessary.
- Meanwhile, to start preparing the saucy spaghetti, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the spaghetti until al dente. Drain, but do not rinse.
- To fry the remaining eggplant slices, add the vegetable oil to a large cast-iron skillet to a depth of ½ inch. Heat to a temperature of 365°F to 375°F on a deep-frying thermometer.
- In a shallow dish, combine the bread crumbs, The Parm, garlic powder, oregano, basil, salt, and pepper. Put the flour and nondairy milk in separate bowls.
- Coat an eggplant slice in the flour, next in the nondairy milk, and then in the bread crumb mixture, using your hands to coat it well on all sides and edges.
- Fry the breaded eggplant in 2 batches (depending on the size of your pan, but don’t overcrowd the slices) for 3 to 4 minutes, flipping halfway through. Set aside on paper towels to soak up any excess oil.
- Pour the cheese sauce into a saucepan and heat over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes, whisking or stirring frequently, allowing the sauce to thicken and become gooey like cheese. Turn off the heat and set aside.
- Preheat the oven to broil. Place all the fried eggplant on a baking sheet and spoon about 2 tablespoons of the cheese sauce on each slice, spreading it out to the edges. Broil for 3 to 5 minutes until the cheese bubbles or browns on top. The timing may vary; watch closely so the cheese or eggplant breading don’t burn.
- Meanwhile, heat the sauce for the spaghetti in a saucepan over a low simmer.
- Toss the spaghetti in the sauce while it’s still simmering over low heat.
- Portion the spaghetti onto plates. Top each serving with 2 cheese-covered eggplant slices. Garnish with fresh basil, more parm, and ground pepper to taste.
