Garden Fresh Eggplant Parmesan - eggplants

Method

• I slice my eggplants the night before (into 1/4 inch thick circles) and soak them in salt water. I hear it makes them softer and more tender but I suppose you could go straight to the frying pan with them too.
• Mix salt, pepper, garlic powder, and grated cheese into the flour. Beat egg into water to make an egg wash. Set up a standard 3 stage dipping station for frying the eggplant, Hand dip in the seasoned flour, then into the egg wash and finally coat well in the breadcrumbs.
• Start the pasta boiling in a separate pot while you start heating oil in a skillet to pan fry the eggplant. Add a dash of olive oil or butter to the spaghetti water to keep it from boiling over. The pasta can be just lightly cooked to al-dente stage, as it will finish off in the oven.
• Pan fry the eggplant about 5 minutes on each side until nice and golden and drain on a plate.
• Drain the spaghetti, and toss in a bowl with some olive oil. Also start the oven to preheat at 350 at this time.
• Get out a 3 x 9 x 12 inch casserole dish and spread a little marinara sauce to coat the bottom. Now add all the pasta in a layer and then layer on the rest of the sauce. Add the breaded eggplant slices in a layer on top of the sauce and finally top with fresh shredded Parmesan cheese.
• Place in the oven to bake for 20 minutes or until the cheese is nice and bubbly on top. Let it stand and cool for a couple minutes, serve and enjoy.