Eggplant Parmesan

Eggplant Parm is all about balance: The texture of the eggplant should be neither soggy nor undercooked. The sauce should have a sweet tomato flavor that complements the slightly bitter eggplant. And there should be *lots* of cheese (we’re not going to justify this one—it’s just better this way, trust us). All the cooking here is centered around getting the eggplant and tomatoes to the right consistency so that when you fuse them, the sauce isn’t watery and the eggplant isn’t sad and soft. Nancy Jo accomplishes this by baking slabs of flour-dusted eggplant in the oven with just a trace of oil. Too much and the dish will become greasy, which will distract you from all of the other delicious flavors happening in the pan. If cooked properly, the eggplant should come out as stiff as cards. She recommends choosing large eggplants that feel firm to the touch and have a smooth skin. If possible, pick male eggplants, which have fewer seeds and a rounder, smoother bottom. The tomatoes—in this case, that’s two cans of high-quality San Marzano tomatoes—are cooked down in the pan until pulpy.

When the two meet in a baking dish (Nancy Jo likes to use ceramic or earthenware, but you can use stainless steel as well), the eggplant soaks up some tomato juices but retains its own character, so you get distinct layers. And she adds the mozzarella as a center layer, so you get the warm melted cheese right in the belly of the dish. Use fresh mozzarella, which is creamy and even a little sweet. After all, if you’re putting in the effort of making eggplant Parm from scratch, you may as well use the good stuff. There’s a full cup of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, which we recommend buying in block form and then grating yourself for the freshest possible flavor (feel free to throw it in the food processor to make quick work, rather than grating by hand on a Microplane). If you must buy pre-grated, purchase it from a cheesemonger or a grocery store with a trusty cheese department. Check the date on the package to see when it was grated, and choose the most recent one.

You don’t have to serve the eggplant Parm with pasta, but you should absolutely serve it with thick slices of crusty bread like focaccia or ciabatta to sop up all of the excess sauce.