No Fry Eggplant Parmigiana

Maybe I'm under the wrong impression. Maybe no one fries their breaded eggplant for their parmigiana. Anyhoo, I was looking for a lighter, less fattening parmigiana recipe. The first one that came up called for BAKING the eggplant, no frying necessary, and it was from Mario Batali. I don't think Mario has ever cooked anything that wasn't freaking awesome, so it had to be good. Right? Right?

Turns out, this is the best Eggplant parmigiana I've ever made. I look forward to leftovers, and I'm not really a leftover kid of gal. Those are for the husband to take to work. I might just hide these from him and send him with a wrap instead. Secret parmigiana. mmmmmnnn

Cook Time 35 min
Prep 10 min --
Cook 35 min
Total: 45 min

Ingredients
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for oiling the baking sheet
2 large eggplant, about 2 pounds
Salt and pepper
2 cups basic tomato sauce, recipe follows
1 bunch fresh basil leaves, chiffonade
1 pound fresh mozzarella, sliced 1/8-inch thick
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1/4 cup fresh bread crumbs, lightly toasted under broiler
Directions
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
Using some extra-virgin olive oil, oil a baking sheet.
Slice each eggplant into 6 pieces about 1 to 1 1/2 inches thick. Lightly season each disk with salt and pepper and place on the oiled sheet. Bake the eggplant at 450 degrees F until the slices begin turning deep brown on top, about 12-15 minutes. Remove the eggplants from the oven. Remove the slices from the baking sheet and place them on a plate to cool.
Lower oven temperature to 350 degrees F. In an 8 by 12-inch brownie pan, place the 4 largest eggplant slice evenly spaced apart. Over each slice, spread 1/4 cup of tomato sauce and sprinkle with a teaspoon of basil. Place one slice of mozzarella over each and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon grated Parmigiano. Place the smaller slices of eggplant over each of the disks and repeat with tomato sauce, basil, and the 2 cheeses. Repeat the layering again until all the ingredients are used.
Sprinkle the toasted bread crumbs over the top of the eggplant dish, and bake uncovered until the cheese is melts and the tops turn light brown, about 20 minutes. Serve immediately.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/mario-batali/eggplant-parmigiana-recipe/index.html