Discovering how much I love eggplants (especially when they're free!)

2 days ago I went to the local farmers market for the first time.  I can't believe I'd never gone before.  I'm hooked.
I somehow timed my first venture to the F.M. perfectly, arriving about 1/2 an hour before they were all packing up to leave.  When you go towards the end of the market, you have a better chance of hearing the following sentences:
"Why don't you go ahead and take a few more. We're trying to get rid of these."
"Go ahead and take 5 for a dollar instead of 3... I don't want to put them back on the truck."
...or my favorite
"Just throw one of those in your bag too.  Don't worry about it."


That last one is how I got my first eggplant. 


So I left the farmers market with some peaches, cucumbers and a free eggplant.  I knew the eggplant was going to become eggplant Parmesan... I just hadn't worked out all the details yet.  I perused the Internet for some ideas, combined a few things, threw out unnecessary steps and ingredients, and came up with the following recipe.  and it rocks.


ingredients
1 medium eggplant                    (mine was free... in season you're looking at about $2 or less)
2 egg whites                             (carton=1.59/12= .13 per egg so.... 26 cents)
1/2 cup breadcrumbs               (pantry)
1/2 Tbsp Italian seasoning         (pantry)
1 garlic salt                              (pantry)
1 Tbsp grated Parmesan           (fridge)
jar of tomato sauce                   $1.50-$3.50 depending on brand
1/4 box of angel hair pasta        $1.00
shredded mozzarella cheese        $3.19
1 tsp. red pepper flakes             (pantry)


Steps:
1. Pre-heat oven to 350 and grease a 9x13 pan.
2. Cut off the ends and all of the skin of the eggplant.  Slice it into 1/2 inch thick rounds.
3. Mix the Parmesan cheese, garlic salt, and Italian seasoning into the breadcrumbs.
4. Dip the eggplant into the egg whites and then smother it in the breadcrumb mixture.  The whole slice should be covered, but shake off any excess.  Repeat with each slice and place in a single layer (or as close as you can get to one) in the 9x13 pan.
5. Bake for 12 minutes, flip all the pieces, bake for an additional 12 minutes.
6. While the eggplant is baking, cook the angel hair according to package directions
7. Take out the eggplant and on each slice place a big spoonful of the jarred tomato sauce and 1/8 cup of mozzarella cheese
8. Bake for an additional 10 minutes.  During this time, stir some of the same jarred tomato sauce into your angel hair pasta and add some red pepper flakes.
 Done! Serves 4.


This entire meal costs $1.65/ serving.  It's healthy because we're not frying the eggplant, we're just baking on the breadcrumbs to make it taste fried.  It's delicious.  Enjoy!