I discovered Kenny Palazzolo when he posted YouTube videos of his Italian recipes on The Italian Grandmama’s Guide Community on Facebook. Since then, I learned that he was on MasterChef Season 10 and won a white apron! He also competed in Gordon Ramsay’s The F Word, a live cooking show.

Kenny is a carpenter by trade but has been cooking his entire life. Growing up in an Italian family, he was surrounded by good cooks and good food. And now we can enjoy his recipes which are simple to follow and entertaining to watch.

Below is his “family’s famous recipe” for Eggplant Parmesan. This recipe earned him a place in the second round of Masterchef Season 10 auditions. No worries if you’re gluten-free! He makes a gluten-free version too.

I recently learned about sweating the eggplant before cooking it. This removes some bitterness from the eggplant and takes some moisture out. I tried it and found that it made a big difference in taste when frying your eggplant. If sauteing or roasting, it may not be necessary to sweat the eggplant.

How do you sweat eggplant? Start by cutting the eggplant in slices. Either skinned or not skinned – your choice. In a colander, sprinkle kosher salt over eggplant covering both sides. Let it sit at least 30 minutes. Rinse with water and pat dry. If you have more time, leave it in the refrigerator overnight. I was shocked at how much moisture was pulled from sweating it overnight!

Kenny doesn’t sweat his eggplant. He uses paper towels to soak up the moisture, as he’ll talk about in his video. So to sweat or not? It’s your choice.

Watch the video below and follow along while cooking your eggplant parm with Kenny!

Buon Appetito!

Eggplant (peeled, sliced and dried)

Italian seasoned breadcrumbs (gluten free if needed)

Grated Pecorino Romano and Parmesan cheese

eggs (whisked, with salt, pepper and milk)

Bono Sicilian olive oil

Shredded Mozzarella

Shredded 6 cheese Italian blend

Gravy/Sauce

Eggplant parm is one of my favorite meals and my go-to in Italian restaurants. But since I learned how easy it is to make it, I don’t have to wait to go out to eat to enjoy it!

Let me know who yours turned out!

Angela DiCicco

The Italian Grandmama

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