Harmony Kitchen

Sept 29, 2025 Recipe of the Week

Over the last week we have eaten a lot of eggplant parmesan!

Last year, I made one batch and Greg (who does not like eggplant!) declared it the best thing he had ever eaten.

I MEANT to write down how I had made it but I DIDN’T.

So this year it was back to the drawing board. I tried deep frying the eggplant in olive oil, I tried salting it and not salting it, I tried slowly roasting it in the oven, I even thought about breading it. Then I tried this method and it was THE ONE! Not only was it the most delicious, it was also the easiest to put together.

There is a bit of down time in the prep but only about 10- 15 minutes of active cooking time so this is a perfect recipe for a day you have a few other tasks to do in the kitchen.

Pantry items: – 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil – 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar – 1/4 -1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese – Salt and pepper

Equipment:

Knife and Cutting Board

Mixing bowl

Sheet pan

Cooling rack

Small casserole dish

Basting brush

Parchment paper

Method

First, thaw pesto and tomato sauce either overnight in the fridge or by immersing in cold water while you do your other prep.

Next, start prepping the eggplant. Wash the skins, cut off the top and bottom and a thin slice of skin from each side (so that you don’t end up with a slice that is all skin on one side!) then slice lengthwise in ~1/2 inch slabs.

Place the slices on a cooling rack and LIGHTLY salt on both sides. One medium pinch of salt is good for an entire side. Leave for 30 min until you can see that the eggplant is starting to sweat.

While the salt is doing its work, mix a vinaigrette of 1/2 cup olive oil, 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar, one clove of garlic (pressed or grated) and a good pinch of freshly ground pepper.

Once the eggplant is ready, without removing the salt, allow it to marinade in the vinaigrette for ~15 minutes. It helps to use a basting brush to make sure every surface is covered.

Pre-heat your oven to “broil”. Once the eggplant has soaked, place it on a parchment lined sheet pan and broil it until nicely golden/caramelized. This can take anywhere from 10-20 minutes total so keep a close eye on them and flip the slices when they look done.

Remove them from the oven when both sides are nicely cooked and pre-heat the oven to 425. If you have convection mode, use it. If not, no worries, it will still be delicious!

Now it is time to start layering. Put a very small amount (a few tbsp) of sauce on the bottom of the pan. Follow this with 1/2 of the eggplant slices, a bit more sauce, the second 1/2 of the eggplant and the remainder of the sauce. Top everything with crumbled/chopped cheese curds and parmesan cheese. That’s it!

Place in the oven for about 30 min until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese is golden.

Remove from the oven and allow it to rest for 10-15 min before cutting and serving.

Top each serving with a teaspoon or two of pesto and serve by itself or with a salad, some crusty bread or pasta.

Time Savers, Storage Tips and Spin off Recipes

• Any leftovers from this recipe keep well in the fridge or can be frozen in an airtight container.
• You will have enough pesto left over for another entire meal.
• Extra garlic keeps at room temperature in a dry spot for up to a year.
• Need a quick meal that everyone will love? Gently roast some grated or pressed garlic in olive oil, add some chili flakes and toss it with pasta and parmesan cheese. Yum.

Did you Know?

Vegetables with different colours contain different phytochemicals and therefore count as different plants in your weekly 30 diversity plant count.

Your heirloom tomato sauce includes 4 different colours of tomatoes!

This Recipe’s Plant Count: 11

Time Required: ~2 hours (15 minutes active)

4 large main course servings