Eggplant Parmesan

So for my first post I thought to make it an enticing one.

Eggplant parmesan, tossed salad and meat sauce (for those of you who need your meat)

Eggplant Parmesan:

1 medium eggplant

1/4 fresh basil leaves torn

1/4 yellow onion chopped

1 clove garlic chopped

1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes with juice

1/2 cup ricotta cheese

2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Olive oil

Salt 

1. Cut eggplant into 1/2 inch thick slices (slicing the long way)
2. Finely chop the outer slices (the ones with most of the skin on them) and set aside
3. Sprinkle both sides of the slices with salt and layer them in a colander. Place a plate on top of the slices and weigh down.
4. Let stand for 1-2 hours then rinse and pat dry.
5. Preheat the oven to 400 F
6. Brush each side of the slices with olive oil and arrange on a baking sheet (single layer)
7. Bake until lightly browned (15 minutes or so). Remove from oven but keep the oven on.
8. Saute onion, chopped eggplant pieces in some olive oil until tender.
9. Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute.
10. Add the tomatoes, juices and half the basil leaves. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until thickened (10 minutes or so).
11. Season with alt and pepper to taste.
12. Combine ricotta and parmesan cheese.
13. Place 4 eggplant slices in a baking dish. Top with cheese mixture and half the tomato sauce.
14. Layer with the remaining eggplant slices. Top with the remain tomato sauce, sprinkle with mozzarella.
15. Cover and bake for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with the fresh basil and enjoy.