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1
Preheat the oven to 375F Set up a breading station using three separate shallow bowls.
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2
One bowl for flour and one for eggs.
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3
Whisk together bread crumbs, 1/4 c parmesan, oregano, salt, and chili flakes and place in the third bowl.
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4
Slice off 1/2 inch from the bottoms and tops of the eggplants and discard.
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5
Use a vegetable peeler to remove the skin.
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6
Slice the eggplant into 3/4 inch thick rounds.
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7
Dredge each slice of eggplant in flour, then egg, then breadcrumb mixture.
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8
Heat the olive oil and garlic cloves in a large saute pan over medium heat.
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9
Saute the garlic for 10-15 minutes, until golden brown.
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10
Remove the garlic and disard.
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11
Increase the heat to medium high and fry the breaded eggplant slices for 3 minutes per side, until golden brown.
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12
Remove to a cooling rack.
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13
Ladle 3/4 cup tomato sauce into an 8x8 inch baking dish.
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14
Layer the eggplant, sauce, mozzarella, parmesan, and basil.
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15
Repeat until you have three layers of eggplant.
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16
Top with remaining cheese.
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17
The key is to have each layer of eggplant surrounded by tomato sauce.
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18
Cover with foil and place the dish on a baking sheet.
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19
Bake for 35 minutes, removing foil after 25 minutes.
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20
The sauce and cheese should be bubbling.
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21
Let rest at room temperature for 5-10 minutes before serving.
