Ingredients
2 large eggplants
6 cups Famous Tomato Sauce, recipe follows
3 cups vegetable oil
Sixteen 1/4-inch thick slices Mozzarella cheese
1 cup coarsely grated Romano cheese
4 large eggs
1/4 cup water
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 quarts water
For Famous Tomato Sauce:
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley leaves, crumbled
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/4 teaspoons dried basil leaves, crumbled
Two 28 ounce cans crushed, peeled tomatoes, including juice
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons salt
Directions
- Cut the green ends off both eggplants and slice them in 1/2-inch circles. Set aside.
- Heat the oil in a skillet. Meanwhile, beat the eggs, along with a little bit of water, in a shallow dish. Place the flour in a separate shallow dish.
- Dip each eggplant circle into the egg mixture and then into the flour, making sure to coat well on both sides.
- Fry in the hot oil until both sides are golden. Drain the fried eggplant on paper towels and set aside.
- To assemble, cover the bottom of a 9 x 12 x 2-inch baking pan with some tomato sauce. Arrange a layer of the eggplant over the sauce, fitting the eggplant slices tightly together like a puzzle. Cover the eggplant with more sauce. Arrange a layer of mozzarella over this. Top the mozzarella with more sauce. Repeat these layers twice.
- Sprinkle the Romano over the top and bake the eggplant in a 400 degree oven for 30 minutes.
- Chop the garlic until it is fine, either in a food processor fitted with the steel blade or by hand. Heat the oil on high heat in a Dutch oven or large saucepan with at least a 5-quart capacity. Add the garlic and cook until light brown.
- Stir in the tomatoes, juice, and quarts of water. Add the pepper, parsley, basil, sugar and salt. Stir again. When the sauce begins to boil, reduce the heat. Simmer, stirring occasionally, about 45 minutes.