Eggplant Parmesan Pizza
August 30th, 2009
Few things are better than a really good slice of pizza. At a recent dinner, we really wanted to make a side of eggplant parmesan, but ultimately decided it would have been a bit much. Figuring two good things together are usually good, we made some eggplant parm. pizza for appetizer instead. We ended up charring the bottom of the crust a bit too much, but overall this worked pretty well. The most important thing is to make sure that the eggplant is well seasoned. Especially make sure to salt it appropriately if using an unsalted ricotta on the pizza.
Ingredients
- Basic Tomato Sauce (recipe found <a href=”http://dinnerpartiesetc.com/?p=572“>here</a>
- Pizza Dough (recipe found <a href=”http://dinnerpartiesetc.com/?p=153″>here</a>
- 1 Italian Eggplant
- 1 Egg
- Olive Oil
- Fresh Mozzarella
- Ricotta Cheese
- Italian Breadcrumbs
- 1 Egg
- Fresh Basil
- Kosher salt
- Black Pepper
- Crushed Red Pepper
Prepare the pizza dough ahead of time as described in the linked to recipe. We usually make our dough pretty thin but for this pizza, to stand up to the tomato sauce, eggplant and multiple cheeses, a slightly thicker dough might have been better. The tomato sauce can also be made well in advanced. In fact, it is probably best to make ahead of time and cool so it’s easier to apply to the pizza adn won’t start melting the cheese immediately in case you won’t be putting the pizza immediately in the oven.
To start the eggplant, slice horizontally into thin, 1/4 inch circular slices. I like to leave the skin on when I make eggplant parmesan but many people disagree. You can try it each way and see for yourself. Overall, you’ll want about 6-8 slices of eggplant for the pizza. Set up dredging stations in small bowls; one with flour, one with breadcrumbs and one with a whipped egg. Add some salt and pepper to each mixture to make sure the eggplant is really well seasoned.
Dip the eggplant in the flour, then the egg and finally the breadcrumbs, making sure both sides are thoroughly coated.
In a large frying pan, add a thin layer of olive oil and bring to heat. Pan fry the eggplant in batches so that each slice has full contact with the pan. Each slice should take about 2-3 minutes per side or until a golden brown.
As you remove each batch, drain on a plate lined with a paper towel to remove any excess oil. Immediately season with salt and pepper.
Once cooled to handle, slice into half circles. You can leave them in full circles as well; it will be slightly trickier to fit them on the pizza but may look more rustic as well. Roll out the dough and cover with a generous layer of sauce, followed by the eggplant slice. Top with dollups of ricotta cheese, which should be smoothed out and thin slices of mozzarella. Bake in a 550F degree oven for 10-12 minutes and top with fresh basil once out of the oven.