Egg'plant in Disguise

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 2 cups milk
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Grated nutmeg
• About 6 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 pounds eggplant, cut crosswise into 1/3-inch slices
• 1 1/2 cups ricotta
• 2 teaspoons thyme leaves
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Make a bechamel: melt the butter in a saucepan.
3. When foamy, whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute.
4. Whisk in the milk, bring to a boil and simmer until thickenedand smooth, 2 minutes.
5. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
6. Cover and let cool.
7. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
8. Add as many eggplant slices as will fit in one layer, season with salt and brown on both sides.
9. Repeat with remaining oil and eggplant.
10. Fill the base of an 8-x-8-inch baking dish with 1/3 of the eggplant.
11. Cover with 1/3 of the ricotta, followed by 1/3 of the bechamel.
12. Sprinkle with thyme.
13. Repeat two more times.
14. Spread the Parmesan on top, and bake for 20 minutes.
15. Place under the broiler for 1 minute to brown the top.

butter, flour, milk, salt, nutmeg, olive oil, eggplant, ricotta, thyme, parmesan

Taken from cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/11506 (may not work)