Copy Desk Cookoff: Eggplant Parmesian

Recently, I have become sort of a vegetarian…but not by choice. Meat these days is pricey and as a college student, that doesn’t fly. If you’re a poor college student too, take a break from the high sodium Ramen Noodle alternative and listen up.

Eggplant parmesan is quick and cheap to make, easy to store and totally delicious! I know, some of you may have just gagged a little, but trust me, this stuff is good. I’m Italian and if there is something we do well, it’s breading food and throwing sauce and cheese over it.

If you are daring enough to try this out, you will need the following: One eggplant, Italian style bread-crumbs, three eggs, vegetable oil, garlic, basil, sugar, tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese and spaghetti (optional).

– Peel the skin off of the eggplant. Slice it vertically, about one fifth of an inch. Cut them into 8 to 10 inch long pieces, but make sure they’re not so thin that they burn in the pan.

– Crack three eggs into a bowl and wisk them. Pour some bread crumbs into a separate bowl. Dip the eggplant slices into the mixture, covering the slice entirely with egg and place it into the bread crumb bowl, covering the eggplant piece in bread crumbs. Repeat this step with all the slices.

– Pour about a quarter of a cup of oil into a pan, setting the flame on medium. Place a few slices in at a time, turning them over.

– While the fried eggplant slices are cooling down, you can boil sauce in a medium sized pot. This should literally take 10 minutes. For flavor, basil and garlic can be added and to buffer acidity, a few pinches of sugar are needed.

– Boil spaghetti if desired. Once the sauce is done, drown the eggplant in your tomato sauce and place a slice of mozzarella cheese on top.

– Place in the microwave for one and a half minutes and you have your dish!

If you can’t finish all of the sauce and eggplant, you can wrap it up and store it in the fridge. It lasts over a week. Set some sauce aside for the eggplant and place excess in a container and freeze it. This way, you have tomato sauce stored securely for your next home-cooked meal, whenever that may be.