Eggplant Parm

This recipe highlights everything I love about cooking in the summer: gorgeous, fresh produce that needs minimal cooking. Instead of the usual fried heavy stuff, this eggplant is broiled and then layered with a simple tomato sauce and some melty cheesy goodness.

Ingredients:
2 pounds of Italian eggplant
6oz of mozzarella
1/3 cup grated Parmesan
bunch of basil chopped up
olive oil, salt, and pepper

Tomato Sauce:
2 pounds of cherry tomatoes
4 cloves of garlic
2 tbs olive oil
salt, pepper, oregano and red chili flakes to taste

Honestly, most of these measurements are estimates. I was freestylin' the cheese and seasoning to my personal preference.

Directions:
1. Slice eggplant about 1/4 inch. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Broil for 10 minutes or until slightly browned.

2.  Heat olive oil over medium and cook up garlic till it's nice and golden. Halve the cherry tomatoes and dump them in. Bring to boil, covered, and stir occasionally for about 10 minutes. Season to taste w/ salt, pepper, oregano, and red chili flakes. Use a wooden spoon to help break up the tomatoes.

3. In a baking dish, put down a layer of broiled eggplant. Put a thin layer of tomato sauce. Add some chopped basil. Top with shredded mozzarella and grated Parmesan. Repeat. Do not put basil on top layer.

4. Heat oven to 400 F and bake for 20 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes because it'll release a whole lot of juices. Mine was still really wet after sitting so I spooned out some of the extra liquid. Sprinkle with basil and enjoy.