• Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
• Slice eggplant into 1/2 inch rounds, set aside.
• If making homemade San Marzano tomato sauce, prep the sauce first. It will finish cooking while you are preparing the eggplant. If using jar sauce, empty a whole jar of sauce into a saucepan to warm.
• Whisk 3 large eggs in a shallow baking dish - this is your egg wash batter.
• Pour 2 cups of gluten-free Italian seasoned breadcrumbs into a separate baking dish or sheet pan. Sprinkle with additional seasoning to preference. I use salt, pepper, granulated garlic, and onion.
• Slice Fresh 1 lb of mozzarella into 1/4 to half-inch slices. Alternatively, you can also break apart the fresh mozzarella with your hands. Just be sure to plan out your mozzarella pieces so you have enough to top all the slices of eggplant. Set aside.
• Dip each eggplant slice into the egg batter, completely coating the eggplant. Allow excess batter to drip off, then dip the coated eggplant into the breadcrumbs. Flip the eggplant slice and pat with your fingers to help the breadcrumbs stick. *You do not need to cover every inch of the eggplant with breadcrumbs. The sides will probably not completely hold the coating and there may be some small bare spots. Don't worry. As long as most of the slice is coated, the eggplant will be fine.
• Set the breaded eggplant aside on a large sheet tray, aluminum foil, or platter. Keep each slice separate and avoid stacking the eggplant as the breadcrumbs will start to fall off.
• Using a cast iron skillet or heavy-bottomed stainless steel pan over medium-high heat, shallow fry the eggplant slices, flipping when golden brown on the bottom, approximately 3-5 minutes per side. (Oil should be 380°- 400°).

  I fry in about 1/4 inch depth of oil. Be sure not to overcrowd the pan, (No more than 4-5 slices at a time).

  Pro Tip ***You may need to add more oil as you cook. Eggplant tends to absorb oil as it cooks.
• As your slices finish browning, remove and organize them in single-layer rows on a sheet pan. Top each eggplant with a layer of sauce, followed by a layer of fresh mozzarella. Top each slice with a few more dabs of sauce and finish the tray with a shower of grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino Romano cheese.
• Place the tray on the center rack of the oven and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

  Pro Tip *** If you like the cheese to be browned, switch the oven to broiler mode for the final 3-5 minutes. Be sure to keep an eye on it, things can burn quickly under the broiler.
• Remove from oven and top with hand-torn pieces of fresh basil and another shower of grated cheese. Buon appetito!

San Marzano tomato Sauce

• Over med-high heat, add extra virgin olive oil to a large sauté pan.
• Add 1- 28 oz can of whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes to the oil. Use a potato masher or the back of a fork to crush the tomatoes into smaller pieces.
• Add 2 teaspoons of kosher salt to the tomatoes.
• Rapid simmer at a medium-high simmer for 5 minutes, stirring frequently to blend the oil and tomatoes.
• Reduce heat to a low simmer for an additional 10 minutes. Stir tomatoes every 3 minutes.
• Turn off the heat. The sauce is complete. If you added basil stems to the sauce, remove them before serving. Garnish the finished sauce with fresh basil leaves. If you like, shower with grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese.