Ingredients:
3 eggplants (peeled and cut lengthwise in ½ inch thick slices)
Salt
¼ cup olive oil
1 tbsp butter
1 lb lean ground beef
Pepper
2 onions (chopped)
1 clove garlic (minced)
¼ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp herbs
2 tbsp dried parsley
1 (8oz) can tomato sauce
½ cup red wine
1 egg (beaten)
Béchamel Sauce:
4 cups milk
½ cup butter
6 tbsp all purpose flour
Salt
White pepper
1 ½ cups Parmesan cheese (grated)
¼ tsp nutmeg
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Sprinkle salt on eggplant slices and leave for 30 minutes to draw out the moisture.
- Heat some olive oil and fry eggplant until brown.
- Melt the butter in skillet and add beef, salt and pepper, onions and garlic.
- When beef is browned, add the cinnamon, nutmeg, herbs and parsley.
- Pour the tomato sauce and wine into the mix. Simmer for 20 minutes.
- When it cools, stir in beaten egg.
- For béchamel sauce: Put milk in a saucepan and scald it.
- Melt butter in skillet and whisk in flour until smooth.
- Gradually pour in hot milk on low heat, and constantly whisk until it becomes thick. Add salt and white pepper to taste.
- Place layer of eggplant on bottom of baking pan.
- Cover with all of the meat mixture, and sprinkle ½ cup of Parmesan cheese over the top.
- Cover with rest of eggplant and sprinkle another ½ cup of cheese on top.
- Pour the béchamel sauce over top and sprinkle with the nutmeg. Top with remaining cheese.
- Bake for 1 hour.