Layered Eggplant with Chevre

This is another dish I've been making quite often. It's easy, healthy, beautiful enough to serve to guests, and delicious! I love cooking with a minimum of ingredients.

Ingredients:

1 medium to large eggplant

2½ cups of good quality tomato sauce (I use Mario Batali's Sugo Pomodoro from Trader Joe's)

5 oz. or so of goat cheese, you could use a little more, or a little less

1 egg

½ cup of grated cheese (ex:Parmesan, Romano)

3 tablespoons of olive oil

salt



Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375ºF.
   
2. Cut up eggplant into approximately ½" slices, but be sure to get 10 slices total.
   
3. Coat baking sheet with olive oil and lay eggplant slices in single layer. Sprinkle with a couple pinches of salt.
   
4. Bake eggplant for 30 minutes, turning once during baking.
   
5. While eggplant is baking, let goat cheese come to room temperature. In a small bowl, blend cheese with the egg using a fork until a smooth paste is formed. Add a pinch of salt and set aside in refrigerator.
   
6. In a square casserole pan, layer 1 cup of sauce. Then lay down 5 slices of the baked eggplant.
   
7. By spoonfuls, mound the cheese mixture evenly over the eggplant slices. Cover with another layer of Eggplant.
   
8. Pour remaining sauce over dish and top with grated cheese.
   
9. Return completed dish into the oven to bake for another 30 minutes or until the top is golden brown.