This makes an excellent side dish (contorni) or lunch with a glass of red wine. No need to salt eggplant before baking. They get deliciously crisp with just a little oil.
Tomato-Basil Salad
1 cup cherry tomatoes,
coarsely chopped
1 large clove garlic, minced
or pressed
2 T extra-virgin olive oil
1 small bunch basil, rolled up
like a cigar and thinly sliced (chiffonade)
Sea salt and freshly ground
black pepper
Eggplant
2 medium eggplants, washed
1 cup all-purpose flour
Sea salt and freshly ground
black pepper
1 large egg
1 ½ cups Italian breadcrumbs
¼ cup grated Italian cheese
(your favorite)
¼ t red pepper flakes
8 slices fontina cheese
In a small bowl add the
tomatoes, garlic, olive oil and a third of the basil.
Season to taste with salt and
pepper. Stir to combine, cover and set
aside on your counter.
Cut the two rounded sides off
of the eggplant and then slice each one into four slices, lengthwise, leaving
stem on.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Spray a baking sheet with oil
and set aside.
Place flour in a shallow bowl
and season with salt and pepper.
In another shallow bowl, whisk
the egg with 1 tablespoon of water.
In a third shallow bowl, add
the breadcrumbs, grated cheese, and red pepper flakes.
First, dip a slice of eggplant
in the seasoned flour, shaking off excess.
Next, dip it into the egg
mixture, coating both sides and finally into the breadcrumb mixture; pressing down on each side to
coat completely.
Arrange them on the baking
sheet and drizzle with a little more oil and place in the oven.
Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and flip over with a spatula
and bake an additional 15 minutes.
Remove from oven and add the
fontina cheese to each eggplant slice.
Place back in the oven and bake for another 2 to 4 minutes, just until the cheese has melted, but not browned.
Transfer to a serving platter
and spoon on the tomato mixture and garnish with the rest of the basil.
