The Italians may have invented Eggplant Parmesan, but the best version comes from Ontario’s Niagara region.
Hear us out.
St. David’s Hydroponics in Niagara produces authentic European-style eggplants, which are brightening our local produce selection. They’re also featured in this week’s flyer.
These greenhouse-grown aubergines are an excellent choice for all of us looking to support our awesome Canadian growers.
St. David’s eggplants get us dreaming about heaping cheesy, earthy, and comforting eggplant parmesan onto our plates.
It turns out Niagara’s own hometown hero, Chef Matty Matheson, has an awesome recipe for Eggplant Parmesan, which he serves up at his (you guessed it) Niagara-region restaurant Rizzo’s House of Parm.
So, pick up 3-4 of St. David’s eggplants and prepare to make the best Eggplant Parmesan straight out of Niagara.
Here’s how to do it.
Matty Matheson-Inspired Eggplant Parmesan
Ingredients
For the tomato sauce:
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 9 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3 cans whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
For the eggplant:
- 3-4 medium eggplants, peeled and sliced lengthwise into 1/4-inch pieces
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 6 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 4 cups bread crumbs
- 1 1/4 cups olive oil
- 1 cup canola oil
- 4 cups tomato sauce
- 1 1/2 pounds sliced Mozzarella cheese
- 1 bunch fresh basil leaves
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
Method
Prep the Tomato Sauce:
- Warm the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat.
- Add the garlic and onion, cooking until soft and aromatic, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the tomato paste and cook for another 5 minutes.
- Pour in the tomatoes and bring the mixture to a boil.
- Season with salt and pepper, then remove from heat and set aside.
Prep the Eggplant:
- In a shallow dish, add the flour and season with salt and pepper.
- In a second dish, whisk together the eggs and ½ cup water.
- Fill a third dish with the breadcrumbs.
- Working one slice at a time, dredge the eggplant in flour, ensuring an even coat, then dip it into the egg wash, and finally press it into the breadcrumbs to coat completely. Repeat with all the slices.
- Heat 1 cup of olive oil and the canola oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Working in batches, fry the eggplant, flipping once, until golden brown—about 1 minute per side.
- Transfer to a wire rack over a baking sheet and sprinkle with salt.
Assemble the Dish:
- Preheat the oven to 450°F.
- Spread ½ cup of tomato sauce across the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch casserole dish.
- Arrange a layer of fried eggplant over the sauce, then cover with mozzarella slices.
- Add 1 cup of tomato sauce and scatter 6-7 basil leaves on top.
- Continue layering, placing each new eggplant layer in the opposite direction.
- Repeat for three more layers, finishing with mozzarella on top.
- Sprinkle Parmesan over the final layer and drizzle with the remaining ¼ cup olive oil.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling and golden brown.