I love eggplant and this looks totally awesome!
Didi says: "It really is easy . . . "
I say: "Uh-huh."
Sauce:
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup tomato paste
2 TB minced fresh parsley
2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
Chicken:
2 large skinless, boneless chicken breast
kosher salt
½ cup all-purpose flour
2-3 TB extra-virgin olive oil, divided
Eggplant:
1 small eggplant, ½-inch thick slices
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
½-3/4 c. seasoned bread crumbs
½ c. grated Parmesan cheese
½ tsp. garlic salt
¼ tsp. pepper
Leftover cooked spaghetti
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
½ cup Romano cheese, grated
½ cup parmesan cheese, grated
Preheat oven to 375°.
Sauce: In a large saucepan, sauté onion in oil. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, stirring occasionally, 20-25 minutes.
Chicken: Slice chicken breasts in half crosswise into 4 cutlets. Lightly pound between sheets of plastic wrap until about ½" thick. Season with salt. Place flour in a medium dish Working one at a time, place cutlets in bowl and toss to coat in flour. Knock off excess flour and transfer to a plate. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Cook chicken until browned, about 2 minutes. Turn over and cook on the other side just until chicken is cooked through, about 30 seconds. Set aside
Eggplant: Sprinkle eggplant with salt; let stand 20-30 minutes.
Place eggs in a shallow bowl. In another shallow bowl, combine bread crumbs, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, garlic salt and pepper. Dip eggplant in eggs, then bread crumb mixture. Bake 15 minutes; turn eggplant over and continue baking 10-12 minutes.
Assembly: Spoon ½-3/4 cup sauce into an ungreased 9x13-in. baking dish. Spread cooked spaghetti onto sauce. Top with 4-6 pieces of eggplant. Spoon ½-3/4 cup sauce onto eggplant. Top with chicken. Spoon sauce as desired onto chicken. Top with mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle with Roman and Parmesan cheese. Cover and bake until bubbly, 30-35 minutes. Serves 4-6.