Made with Caramelized Shallot and Anchovy

A Little Eggplant Parm

Serves 2

A Little Eggplant Parm
Shop the sauce

The first time I made this, I texted several friends that I had “just made one of the more delicious things I’ve ever made in my life,” a text I send maybe once a year, if that. Anyway, no the eggplant does *not* need to be salted, no we *will not be frying* the eggplant. Yes, it does basically taste like eggplant parmesan but lighter, fresher, tangier, crunchier. If you don’t care for capers, you can skip them, just know you are, in fact, missing out.

Ingredients

  • 1 large globe eggplant (about 2 pounds), sliced about ½”-¾” thick
  • 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • Kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 jar of Roman’s Classic Tomato and Garlic, Spicy Tomato with Fennel, or Caramelized Shallot and Anchovy sauce
  • ¾ cup panko bread crumbs
  • 1/3 cup (about) grated parmesan
  • 2–3 tablespoons capers, coarsely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano or marjoram (you can skip, or use half the amount of dried)
  • ⅓ cup coarsely chopped parsley, divided
  • 8 oz. fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced or torn

Preparation

  1. Roast the eggplant. Preheat oven to 450°. Drizzle eggplant with ⅓ cup olive oil and season with salt and pepper and roast, turning eggplant halfway through (I use tongs or a fork), until it’s as tender as custard and both sides are as brown as if they were fried (they weren’t), 25–30 minutes. A lot of the flavor in this dish will come from the eggplant being very very browned, so please don’t be scared to “take it there” so to speak. Please take it there. Take it very there.
  2. While that happens, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a small to medium skillet over medium heat. Add the bread crumbs and season with salt and pepper. Stir them to coat evenly in the oil and toast, tossing frequently, until all the bread crumbs are the color of your morning toast, 5–7 minutes. Remove from heat.
  3. Okay, it’s time to assemble this thing! How thrilling. There’s not a ton of technique here, but here’s how I do it to most closely mimic the classique eggplant parm: Spoon about half of the tomato sauce on the bottom of a 1 qt. baking dish or 6” skillet (both hold about 4 cups volume, that’s the size you want. Doesn’t matter the shape, as long as its heatproof).
  4. Top with half the eggplant (a little overlap is fine, so are gaps- don’t fuss!). Top with half the parmesan, parsley, capers, and oregano. Scatter half the bread crumbs in a nice even layer on top of all that, followed by half the mozzarella. Repeat this, ending with the mozzarella. Add a little more parmesan if you feel like it, maybe some black pepper. I feel that this is truly perfect as-is, but if you really love anchovies, you can use more to layer in with the capers/herbs.
  5. Now, bake it. Pop it into the oven until the cheese is browned and everything is bubbling around the edges, 15–20 minutes. Remove from the oven, maybe finish with some more parsley if you’ve got it stuck to your cutting board, and let it cool ever so slightly before eating. I like to just serve it by scooping with a spoon—it’s not really meant to be sliced.

Do ahead:Eggplant parm can be assembled a day ahead. It can also be baked a few days ahead and reheated at 425°F until warmed through, 20–25 minutes.

More recipes with Caramelized Shallot and Anchovy sauce

Caramelized Shallot Pasta

Caramelized Shallot Pasta

This pasta is all about the shallots, cooked down in a bath of olive oil to a jammy, caramelized paste. Tomato paste is there for tanginess, and anchovies for saltiness, but they serve more as background flavors to the sweetness of the shallot. This recipe makes enough caramelized shallot mixture for a double batch of pasta, or simply keep it refrigerated to spoon over fried eggs, or to serve underneath crispy chicken thighs or over roasted root vegetables like carrots or sweet potatoes. Note: While not meant to be an exact copy of the recipe above, Roman’s Caramelized Shallot and Anchovy sauce is a perfect replacement for days when you can’t be bothered to slice all those shallots. If you’re in the mood, melt down a few more anchovies in a bit of olive oil with a nice pinch of red pepper flakes before adding the sauce.