Vegan Eggplant Parmesan

• Vegetarian

• Produce

  • 1 Eggplant, medium
  • 1 tsp Oregano, dried

• Refrigerated

  • 1/2 cup Almond milk, unsweetened plain

• Condiments

  • 2 cups Marinara sauce

• Pasta & Grains

  • 8 oz Pasta

• Baking & Spices

  • 1/4 cup All-purpose flour, unbleached
  • 1 tsp Cornstarch
  • 1/4 tsp Sea salt

• Bread & Baked Goods

  • 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs

• Dairy

  • 2 tbsp Parmesan + more, vegan

Found on minimalistbaker.com

Description

Ingredients

• 1 medium eggplant (as narrow as possible - see notes for more tips)
• 1/4 cup unbleached all purpose flour (or other flour of choice)
• 1 cup panko breadcrumbs (GF for gluten free eaters)
• 2 Tbsp vegan parmesan + more for serving (or sub 1 Tbsp nutritional yeast)
• 1 tsp dried oregano (or 2 tsp fresh)
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 cup unsweetened plain almond milk (or other neutral milk)
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• 8 ounces pasta (such as linguini, but any kind will do, including veggie noodles or gluten free)
• 2 cups marinara sauce

Directions

• Slice eggplant into thin rounds slightly less than 1/2 inch thick, and sprinkle each side liberally with sea salt. Arrange in a circular pattern in a colander and place in the sink to draw out the bitter taste of the eggplant.
• Let rest for 15 minutes, then rinse and arrange on a clean absorbent kitchen towel. Top with another clean dish towel and lay a baking sheet on top. Place something heavy on top, such as a cast iron skillet, to thoroughly dry for at least 10 minutes.
• In the meantime, preheat oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with foil and spritz with nonstick spray. Also, if making pasta, bring water to a boil in a large saucepan.
• Prepare your dipping stations by placing almond milk + cornstarch in one bowl; flour in another bowl; and bread crumbs + sea salt + oregano + vegan parmesan (or nutritional yeast) in another bowl.
• Once thoroughly dry, dip eggplant slices in flour, then almond milk mixture, then breadcrumbs. Arrange on the baking sheet and pop in oven to bake for a total of 20-30 minutes.
• IMPORTANT STEP: While the eggplant is in the oven, bring a large skillet to medium heat. Once hot, add 2 Tbsp olive oil (or sub canola or grape seed) and pull 3-4 eggplant rounds out of the oven at a time and sauté to give them extra crisp and texture. Cook for ~2 minutes on each side (or browned) and then return to oven to continue crisping. Do this in batches until all rounds are browned.
• While eggplant is browning in the oven, prepare marinara. I prefer adding my tomato sauce and spices to a serving bowl and microwaving to warm, but you could also heat it on the stove. Set aside.
• Once done cooking, drain pasta and cover with a towel to keep warm. Set aside.
• To serve: Plate pasta and eggplant slices and marinara in a dish as a dipping sauce. Additional vegan parmesan cheese makes an excellent topper.
• Leftovers don’t really reheat well, so it’s best when fresh. See notes for additional tips on crispy eggplant!