Crispy Eggplant Parmesan

To prepare the dish, start by preheating your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Next, take a moment to spray an 11x13-inch baking dish and two baking sheets with cooking spray. This will help prevent the eggplant from sticking to the surfaces.

Now, slice the eggplant into thin pieces and place them on racks over a sink or paper towels. Sprinkle both sides of the slices with salt, allowing them to drain for 30 minutes before rinsing and patting dry with paper towels. Once dry, place the eggplant slices on the prepared baking sheets.

Place these eggplant slices in the preheated oven and bake until they are tender, taking about 15 minutes to achieve this.

Next, prepare two shallow bowls by cracking eggs into one and mixing panko bread crumbs with Italian seasoning in the other. Dip each eggplant slice into the beaten eggs and then press it firmly into the panko crumbs to coat. Place these breaded eggplant slices back on the baking sheets and spray with cooking spray.

Now, position your oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source to facilitate even broiling. Preheat the oven's broiler and then place the eggplant slices under it, allowing them to brown on top. Remove these slices after 2-3 minutes and spray the other side with cooking spray before broiling for another 2-3 minutes. Remove these eggplant slices and adjust the oven temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat and cook the onion and garlic until they become translucent. This should take about 5 minutes, during which time you can stir the mixture occasionally.

Now, add your prepared pasta sauce to the skillet and remove it from heat. Take 1/3 of this sauce and spread it into the bottom of your prepared baking dish.

Next, layer half of the eggplant slices, half of the Italian cheese blend, and half of the Parmesan cheese in the baking dish. Spread another 1/3 of the pasta sauce over these layers and then layer the remaining eggplant, remaining pasta sauce, Italian cheese blend, and Parmesan cheese.

Place this casserole in the 350 degree oven and bake until the cheese is melted and bubbly, taking about 30 minutes to achieve this. Finally, let it stand for 10 minutes before serving.