Grilled Eggplant Parmesan

By Joanne Sasvari

Lately, I’ve been craving the nourishing goodness of vegetables, but I’ve also been craving the carby comfort of pasta and melted cheese. There’s only one solution to that, of course, and that’s a big, molten pan of eggplant parm.

Now, there are lots of ways to make this classic Italian-American dish, and most of them start with breading and frying a bunch of eggplant. I find that really messy, a little bit wasteful, and whole lot fattening. I mean, if you’re eating veg, you should feel at least a little bit virtuous, right?

So instead of frying the eggplant, I grill it. This is just about the laziest thing ever, because I just add some extra veg when I’m grilling something else, so it doesn’t even feel like work. Our grill is an ancient Weber kettle, so we grill over charcoal and I always figure that if I go to the hassle of lighting the coals, I might as well put them to good use. So on Sunday, we had burgers for dinner, and while we were enjoying our apero on the patio, I threw some sliced eggplant and zucchini on the grill, along with some red peppers for another dish down the road. That one cooking experience will cover at least half a dozen meals. And besides, who doesn’t love the smoky goodness of charcoal-grilled veg?

I also threw an extra can of crushed tomatoes into the marinara – it was no extra work, but now I have marina in the freezer ready for another meal, maybe two. I mean, if you’re already going to the trouble, why not?

The other great thing about this dish is that every component can be made ahead of time, then assembled and baked when you’re ready. Aside from the vegetables, you probably have most of the ingredients on hand already, and none of them are expensive. Plus it can feed a crowd for dinner, or if there’s just two of you, give you leftovers for days, especially if you serve it over pasta. Talk about feeling virtuous – and well fed, too!

Recipe below the photos.

Grilled eggplant and zucchini layered on marinara for eggplant parmesan. Photo by Joanne Sasvari

Eggplant parmesan. hot and molten from the oven. Photo by Joanne Sasvari

Recipe: Grilled Eggplant Parmesan

This is as flexible as you want to make it. You can grill or fry the veg, replace the bechamel with a layer of mozzarella, leave out the zucchini, even add an extra can of crushed tomatoes to the marina so you can freeze part of it. Plus almost every part of it can be made ahead of time. Recipe by Joanne Sasvari.

Makes 8 servings

Eggplant:
3 or 4 medium to large eggplants
Optional: 2 medium zucchinis
Salt as needed
Olive oil as needed

 Marinara sauce:
3 or 4 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped fine
3 or 4 healthy garlic cloves, minced
½ tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano leaves
2 Tbsp tomato paste
Optional: 1 Tbsp anchovy paste or 2 anchovy fillets, chopped fine
2 cans (28 oz or 798 mL) crushed tomatoes
Salt and pepper to taste 

Bechamel sauce:
3 Tbsp unsalted butter
4 Tbsp flour
1 ½ cups milk, room temperature or slightly warmed (not hot)
½ cup finely grated parmesan cheese (or a bit more, if you want)
Salt and pepper to taste 

Assembly:
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
1 pkg mozzarella cheese, grated

 Grill the eggplant: Slice the eggplant into ½-inch-rounds. Place a layer of the rounds in a colander and sprinkle with salt; add another layer and salt again. Continue until you’ve used up all the eggplant. Let it sit for half an hour or so – this will remove some of the moisture and make the texture creamier. Rinse off the salt, and pat the eggplant dry.

Meanwhile, if you’re using it, slice the zucchini into ¼-inch thick rounds.

Drizzle veg with olive oil, then grill over medium heat until dark golden and cooked through. This can be done a couple of days ahead and set aside in the fridge until needed.

Note that if you don’t have access to a barbecue, you can fry the eggplant and zucchini in a little olive oil over medium heat instead. Just drain it on paper towels to absorb excess oil.

Make the marinara: Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a Dutch oven or other large-ish pot. Add the onions and cook until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and spices and cook until soft and fragrant – you may need to turn the heat down to avoid burning the garlic.

Push the onion and garlic mixture to the side and squeeze the tomato paste into the centre of the pot. Cook for about a minute, stirring a little, until it is dark red and a little bit caramelized. Stir it into the onion mixture. If you’re using the anchovies, add them now.

 Stir in the crushed tomatoes and a pinch of salt. When the sauce is bubbling in a lively manner, turn the heat down to low, pop the lid on the pot, and let it simmer for at least an hour, ideally two. Stir it occasionally to make sure it’s not burning. 

Like the grilled veg, this can be made a day or two before you need it.

Make the bechamel: In a medium-sized saucepan, melt the butter. Add the flour and cook, stirring, until it is very thick, but do not let it brown. Gradually whisk in the warm milk, whisking constantly, and cook until thickened. Stir in the cheese until it is fully incorporated. Season with salt and pepper.

 You can make this a day ahead, but cover it with plastic wrap right against the surface of the sauce so it doesn’t form a skin, then keep it chilled until you’re ready for assembly.

Make the eggplant parm: Preheat oven to 350°F.

Ladle about a third of the marina in the bottom of a deep glass or ceramic 9-x-13-inch baking dish. Layer half the eggplant (and zucchini if you’re using it) on top of the marinara.

Ladle another third of the marina on top of the bechamel, then layer the remaining half of the veg on top of that. Cover with the remaining marinara and sprinkle with grated parmesan. Cover the baking dish with foil, place it on baking sheet to catch any drips, then pop it in the oven and bake for 45 minutes to an hour.

 Remove the foil and sprinkle the mozzarella cheese evenly across the top. Return to oven and bake for another 30 minutes or so, until cheese is golden and bubbly. If you like it quite crunchy, you can also turn the broiler on for a few minutes. Remove from oven and let it sit for 15 to 30 minutes before serving so it sets a little and is less likely to scald your mouth.

Serving suggestion: Set aside a generous ladleful of marinara and, while the casserole is cooling, cook a pot of linguine. Mix a bit of pasta water with the marinara, then toss it with the linguine. Arrange the linguine on plates and serve the eggplant parm on top. Heaven.

Eggplant parm. ready to be baked. Photo by Joanne Sasvari

Irresistible cheese straws - the perfect party snack

Cheese straws have been a party food staple of every generation in my family, though we all seem to make them differently (and some of us cheat and simply buy them). After all, what’s not to love? They’re all savoury, buttery, cheesy deliciousness. They’re elegant but not fancy, hearty but not filling. And they even look good in your hand if you’re waving it around to make a point. Just me?

The version that I’ve been making for years is a variation on the one my mom makes, and I recently updated it from cheddar to gruyere and omg, it’s so good, it almost made me cry. Hope you agree.

Recipe: Gruyere Cheese Straws
Recipe by Joanne Sasvari / plumandpeper.com.
Makes about 2 dozen

1/2 lb gruyere, swiss, emmental or cheddar cheese
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter at room temp
1 ½ cups + 2 Tbsp unbleached flour, plus extra for dusting
½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
1 pinch nutmeg (omit if using cheddar)
¼ cup water (cool room temp), more if needed
Milk or cream for brushing on top

Grate the cheese on the big holes of a box grater. 

Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter until light and fluffy. With the mixer running on low speed, add the grated cheese a handful at a time, setting aside one handful to sprinkle on top later, continuing until it is well mixed in.

Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg until well blended.

Keep the mixer running on low speed, then add the flour mixture in thirds, sprinkling in the water a bit at time, adding a bit more if needed. Keep the mixer going until the mixture clumps into a sturdy dough. Turn it onto a board and knead a few times until it is smooth and firm. 

Wrap in wax paper or plastic wrap and set aside to rest for at least one hour at room temperature. 

 Preheat oven to 310°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 

Roll out dough in a rectangle about ½ inch thick, or a bit less, and roughly 6 inches wide and 12 inches long, or whatever size takes your fancy. Trim the jagged edges. Gather the extra bits into a ball then roll and slice until you’ve used up all the dough.

Brush the rolled-out dough with milk, sprinkle with cheese then slice into straws. (I find a straw that’s 5 inches long and just over ½ inch wide is ideal, but you do you.)

Arrange on the lined baking sheet with a bit of space in between each straw. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until golden and firm to the touch, rotating pan partway through if they are baking unevenly. Cool on a wire rack. 

 These are best served the day they’re made, but in a pinch will keep in an airtight container at room temp for a few days or in the freezer for a few weeks.