Baked Eggplant Alla Romana

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup olive oil, divided
• 1 large eggplant, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 (16 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Fry eggplant slices in hot oil until browned thoroughly, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Add oil between batches as needed. Drain fried eggplant slices on paper towels and season with salt.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir beef in the hot skillet until browned and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes. Add onion and garlic to the beef; cook and stir until onion is golden brown, about 5 minutes more.

Pour spaghetti sauce over the ground beef; add oregano and stir. Simmer mixture until sauce is heated through, 5 to 7 minutes.

Arrange about half the eggplant slices into the bottom of a shallow casserole dish to cover completely. Ladle about half the beef sauce over the eggplant. Sprinkle 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese over the sauce. Repeat layers.

Beat egg with 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese; pour over the top of the casserole.

Bake in preheated oven until bubbling around the edges and hot in the center, 20 to 25 minutes.