Thank god things finally cooled off a little in this hellhole we call Boston. I wasn’t about to turn the oven on this week, and I had an eggplant in the fridge, patiently waiting to be put to good use. And I was deadset on making eggplant parmesan. “Why,” you might ask, “in the heated hot humidity of August, does a girl want to make eggplant parm?” Well I have no good answer to that question, but it got in my head and I couldn’t shake it out. And finally, today, with nary a trace of damp stickiness in the air, today was my day. Or the eggplant’s day, rather.
I gotta tell you, people, this was glorious. I never made eggplant parmesan before and I rocked its pants off. I wish I wasn’t the only person around these parts who eats eggplant, but hey, more for me. The tomato sauce was light and just the right amount of tang and sweet, the eggplant didn’t mush up at all, the seasonings were just right and the copious gloopy beautiful mounds of melted cheese…oh, that is bliss, my friends. Heavenly cheesy bliss.
It came to me halfway through the process that the key to a truly great eggplant parm must lie in the frying, which made me worry. I am not that experienced in the ways of the frying. But I must have done something right. The good kitchen karma has just been flying around here lately. If my stomach wasn’t about to explode, I’d go back in the kitchen and eat some more.
I’m not sure if eggplant parm is traditionally served over pasta, but I went ahead and did it anyway, because I like pasta and that made it feel like more of a meal. Barilla now makes a fettucini regate that I had to try out. Maybe they’ve always made the fettucini regate but I never saw it before. I like the regate–helps all the saucy sauce stick to the pasta more better. Made me happy.
This will definitely make a repeat appearance, especially if I can find me some people who like eggplant. It was much easier than I was expecting, and so much more delicious. I felt like a little Italian grandmother or something. I felt like I wanted to be feeding more people than just me with such a tasty treat. Good thing it’ll make good leftovers: Eggplant parm sandwiches, here I come.
Lordy lord, I should stop swooning and get to the recipe already.
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