Tuscan Eggplant Parmesan

Adapted from http://www.kitchendaily.com/

Ingredients:

8 ounces fresh mozzarella diced

Grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

3/4 cup basil leaves

Black pepper

Garlic powder

Dried oregano

1 28 ounce can whole tomatoes

Salt

Oil for frying

3 medium eggplants

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Peel off stripes on the eggplant. Slice eggplants into discs about 1/2 inch thick or thinner. Heat oil in a large skillet. Once hot start cooking eggplant in batches. Cooking about 3 minutes on each side or till golden brown. Time varied by batch and pieces. I had to add a lot of oil each time to make them not stick or burn. Place on plate and pat with paper towel. I'm not a big salt user but I sprinkled a little on each batch while on the plate.

Get medium baking dish and pour a little sauce and break and scatter 4 tomatoes on the bottom. Sprinkle the tomatoes with garlic and oregano. Tear and scatter a few basil leaves and then cover with a layer of eggplant. Top with 2 tomatoes, some diced mozzarella, and parmigiano reggiano cheese. Continue this layering until eggplant is gone. I ended up only doing two layers but three would be probably the best in a smaller dish. Make sure your last layer is topped with tomatoes, cheese, garlic, oregano, and basil.

Bake uncovered for 40 minutes. Let sit for 10 minutes to cool. I served it with bread because it was very juicy. 

Enjoy! Kathryn