Recipe information
Yield
serves 6 to 8
Ingredients
Roasted Red Pepper Tomato Sauce
Eggplant
Preparation
Step 1
To make the sauce, heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft, 5 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes, and cook for 1 minute. Add the roasted red peppers and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, bring to a boil, and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 25 to 30 minutes.
Step 2
Transfer the mixture to a food processor and process until smooth. Return the mixture to the pot, add the parsley, basil, and oregano, and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 10 minutes. Season with honey, if needed, and set aside.
Step 3
To cook the eggplant, preheat the oven to 350°F.
Step 4
Spread the bread crumbs evenly on a large baking sheet and bake, stirring once, until dry, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven.
Step 5
Raise the oven temperature to 400°F. Grease the bottom and sides of a 10×15-inch baking dish with the butter.
Step 6
Combine the flour with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a medium shallow bowl or on a large plate. In another medium shallow bowl, whisk the eggs with 2 tablespoons water. In a large shallow bowl, mix the bread crumbs with the parsley, oregano, thyme, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
Step 7
Season each eggplant slice on both sides with salt and pepper. Dredge each slice in the flour, tapping off any excess; then dip it in the egg; and finally dredge it in the bread crumb mixture. Shake off any excess breading and transfer the eggplant to a baking sheet.
Step 8
Heat 1/2 inch of oil in 2 large straight-sided sauté pans over medium heat until the oil begins to shimmer. Working in batches, fry the eggplant slices, turning once, until golden brown on both sides, about 3 minutes. Using tongs, transfer the eggplant to a paper-towel-lined baking sheet.
Step 9
Cover the bottom of the prepared baking dish with some of the tomato sauce, and arrange a third of the eggplant slices over the sauce. Cover the eggplant with some of the sauce, grated mozzarella, fontina, Pecorino, and basil. Repeat to make two more layers, ending with the sauce. Top with the fresh mozzarella and remaining Pecorino, and bake until hot and just beginning to brown, about 30 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.
