3 or 4 (2 ¾ pounds) medium eggplants, cut in 1 inch thick rounds
For the sauce
2 ¾ cup whole milk or non-dairy alternative (we recommend oat milk)
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 large eggs, room temperature, beaten
pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
For the mushrooms
2 pounds mixed mushrooms, quartered or sliced in ½ inch pieces
1 medium yellow onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 tablespoon smoked or sweet paprika
3 teaspoons dried oregano
1 – 14.5 ounce can no salt added crushed tomatoes
1 cup fresh Italian parsley, leaves, roughly chopped
1 cup whole wheat panko breadcrumbs
olive oil, as needed
kosher salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Arrange the sliced eggplant in a single layer on a large sheet tray (use a second one if needed). Drizzle the tops with olive oil and season with salt. Bake for 20 minutes, until just soft.
Step 2
Make the sauce by whisking together the milk and cornstarch in a medium sauce pot over medium heat until there are no visible clumps. Allow it to come up to a boil, whisking occasionally, and cook until just thickened. Whisk in the parmesan and nutmeg and, once the parmesan has melted into the sauce, remove from the heat. Set aside to cool while you make the mushrooms.
Step 3
For the mushrooms, heat approximately 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Once the oil is hot add the mushrooms, in batches if needed, and cook until caramelized. When all the mushrooms are in the skillet and caramelized, lower the heat to medium and add the onion and garlic. Sauté for 3 to 5 minutes, until the onions are opaque, before adding the cumin, cinnamon, paprika and oregano. Stir and toast the spices for 2 minutes then add the tomatoes. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.
Step 4
Remove from the heat and stir in the parsley and panko. Taste a final time and adjust the seasoning if needed.
Step 5
To finish the sauce: once the sauce has cooled a bit, whisk in the beaten eggs along with freshly ground black pepper, if desired.
Step 6
To build: cover the bottom of a 9 inch by 13 inch baking dish with cooked eggplant followed by the mushrooms (filling in any gaps from the eggplants) and repeat a second time until all of the eggplant and mushrooms have been used. Top with the sauce and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the edges are bubbling. Alternatively, if all of the ingredients are still hot, you can place this under the broiler on low and broil for 10 minutes.
