Greek-Style Eggplants Baked with Cheese

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350F/170C. Line two baking trays with parchment paper and set aside.

Step 2

Heat ⅓ cup extra virgin Greek olive oil over medium heat in a large, wide pot and cook the onion, stirring, until soft and translucent, about 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the chopped garlic.

Step 3

Pour the pureed or grated tomatoes into the pot, bring to a simmer, reduce heat to medium and cook the sauce for an hour, or until thickened. Season with salt and pepper and stir in

Step 4

the chopped basil a few minutes before removing the sauce from the heat.

Step 5

While the sauce simmers, prepare the eggplant: Trim the stems and base off the eggplants and cut each eggplant into rounds about a ½ inch thick. Place the eggplant rounds on the baking pans. Brush both sides of the eggplant slices generously with olive oil, sprinkle lightly with a little salt and bake for about 15 minutes, turning once, until the eggplant slices are soft and very lightly browned. Remove and cool.

Step 6

Lightly oil a 9 X 13-inch ovenproof glass or ceramic baking dish. Strew about a half a ladleful of tomato sauce on the bottom of the baking dish, spreading it evenly over the surface. Place a single layer of the eggplant rounds over the sauce. Ladle another ladleful or so of the sauce over the eggplants and sprinkle with about a third of the cheese. Continue layering eggplant, sauce, and cheese until done, finishing with a layer of sauce and cheese on top.

Step 7

Bake uncovered for about 35 to 40 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly and the whole layered dish set. Remove, cool slightly and serve.