Eggplant parmesan... the way food should be

Here's a recipe from my friend Scott from Maine (the way life should be)

Slice up the eggplants to about quarter to half-inch thickness. Obviously, thicker will be meatier, thinner will be crispier.

Lay them out on a cloth/paper towel.

Lightly salt them.

Cover them with another cloth/paper towel and press them a little bit. They'll need to sit for 10-15 mins.

(this is all to remove a bit of moisture so the oil/flavor gets in better)

Stir up a little egg wash in a bowl. Whole eggs or just whites are fine. You can add a little lemon juice, but it's not necessary.

In another bowl mix 2 parts bread crumbs to 1 part flour, with some salt and pepper. I like to toss in some oregano/basil here to make the eggplant look pretty.

Saute some garlic in olive oil until lightly brown.

Dip eggplant slices on both sides in egg wash, then in the bread crumb mix, then fry them in the pan until nice and crispy brown.

Now, the sauce is what makes a dish like this. You can buy the jar stuff, but it'll kinda suck. I'd recommend buying a can of *crushed* tomatoes (not diced, peeled, paste, or sauce. very important). In a saucepan/pot, saute some garlic and hot peppers in olive oil, pour in the tomatoes, mix with a good splash of wine (more than you think), add some salt, pepper, basil, and oregano, and let it simmer for a good long while.

In a bake pan, layer your fried eggplant, then mozzarella, then sauce, then parmesan, until its all used up. Cover the top in the bread crumbs and parmesan.

If you want, save some sauce to serve with the side of pasta. Pasta with just olive oil, garlic, and parmesan is good too.

Bake for about a 25-30 minutes. It might take less time depending on the amount.

Good luck. God bless ya