Eggplan parm, but with the usual LFL twist!

Over the weekend, I was feeling adventurous and decided to make a dish that is uncommon in our house: eggplant parmesan with penne.  I know this is a staple at many an Italian restaurant. However, when we do dine out, the mister and I rarely order pasta dishes. Of course, even though I'm attempting a popular dish, I've gotta put my own local food lady spin on it. 

Ingredients:

• eggplant
• egg
• breadcrumbs (I just go for store bought with breadcrumbs--you can make your own; maybe I'll attempt it in a future food adventure)
• seasonal veggies - chopped (carrots, tomatoes, onions, peppers)
• basil
• pasta
• fresh mozzarella
• pecorino romano cheese

Slice eggplant about 1/2" thick (I don't remove the skins). Sprinkle some salt on the eggplant slices and set aside while you get your "dunking stations" set up. In one shallow bowl, have two eggs lightly scrambled. In the next, fill with breadcrumbs (about 1" deep). 

Get a large pan warmed up with olive oil. My Le Creuset is perfect for this...lots of space.  While the pan is warming up, shake off the moisture that has accumulated on the eggplant.  Once the oil moves freely about the pan, you are ready to start dunking. Put a slice of eggplant in the egg, submerge it, and then coat both sides in the breadcrumbs.  Add to the pan. Repeat. Careful, don't crowd the eggplant in the pan, you need room to flip.

Cook about 1 - 2 minutes, then flip. The eggplant should have a nice golden crust, but not too dark.  The breadcrumbs will soak up much of the oil. If need be, add a little more to the pot.  Once your eggplant is golden on both sides, transfer to a deep baking dish. 

Once all of the eggplant is cooked, keep that wide pan warm.  This is where my different "twist" comes in.  Rather than using red gravy/sauce (LFL doesn't choose sides in this hotly contested debate), I read that the eastern European version of this includes diced vegetables--like green onion, carrots, celery.  I improvised a bit and used the following: green peppers, red onion, yellow plum tomatoes, red heirloom tomatoes, summer carrots (they are shorter than regular carrots).  I allowed these veggies to warm through and then topped the eggplant with them.

I covered the eggplant/veggie mixture with foil and put into a 350 degree oven for approximately 30 minutes.  When there were ten minutes left, I began boiling a large pot of salted water.  Once the water came to a boil, I added my fresh kale/spinach penne from Vera Pasta. I'm telling you, this stuff is GREAT and because it is fresh pasta, it cooks up in 3 - 5 minutes.  I drained the penne, and began preparing the plates. 

I put down a layer of penne, topped it with a slice of fresh mozzarella, added the eggplant/veggie mixture on top and gave it a sprinkle of pecorino cheese along with chopped fresh basil.  You don't need to add any additional sauces to this dish, since the seasonal veggies offer so much flavor and moisture.  It was fabulous.  The eggplant was even better the next day, after the flavors had more time to hang out together. This is going to be another go-to dish for us.