Eggplant Parmigiana Recipe

Nonna's recipe. It's simple but it takes a little time to put together, but it's well worth the effort. You will like this even if you are not a eggplant lover.

• Meal Type: Entree
• Ethnicity: Italian
• Holiday Category: N/A
• Preparation Time: Over 1 hour, less than 1 day

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1/2 c. chopped onion
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1/2 lb. ground chuck
• 1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste
• 1 (2 lb. 3 oz.) can Italian (undrained) tomatoes
• 2 tsp. dried oregano leaves
• 1 tsp. dried basil
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 1 large eggplant (about 2 lb.)
• 2 hard-boiled eggs, sliced
• 1 1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/3 c. olive oil
• 1 (8 oz) pkg. Mozzarella cheese, sliced
• 8 or 9 slices Italian dry salami

Directions

1. In 2 tablespoons hot olive oil in large skillet, saute onion, garlic and ground chuck, stirring occasionally until meat is no longer red, about 5 minutes. Add tomato paste, oregano, basil, salt, pepper, and sugar; bring to boiling, stirring with wooden spoon. Reduce heat. Simmer covered and stirring occasionally 45 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 13X9X2 inch baking dish. Wash eggplant (do not peel). Cut crosswise into 1/4 inch thick slices. In 1 tablespoon hot oil, brown eggplant quickly on each side. Add more oil as needed. Drain on paper towel.
3. Arrange half of eggplant slices in bottom of baking dish. Top with hard-boiled eggs, salami, and half of Mozzarella cheese slices. Cover with half of tomato sauce. Arrange remaining eggplant slices over tomato sauce. Cover with rest of tomato sauce and Mozzarella slices. Sprinkle top with rest of Parmesan.
4. Bake, uncovered, for 25 minutes until cooked through and cheese is melted.