Eggplant Parmesan

This Eggplant Parmesan is loaded with layers of crispy eggplant, sauce, and of course, lots of cheese. Each bite is complete comfort! Made completely vegetarian, I promise you won’t be missing the meat when you bite into that tender eggplant.

The Best Baked Eggplant Parmesan

I’m sure you’re all familiar with chicken parmesan! Is there anything better over a bed of tender spaghetti? If eggplant parmesan is not yet in your repertoire, get ready to have your mind blown. Hailing from Southern Italy, this classic recipe has origins dating all the way back to the 14th century.

While its poultry counterpart is usually enjoyed over pasta, eggplant parmesan, made with 2 or 3 layers each of sauce, eggplant, and cheeses, is best enjoyed all on its own. You can think of it almost like a lasagna; made with crispy breadcrumb dredged eggplant rather than noodles.

• Eggplants – The star ingredient of this dish, you’ll need 2 large eggplants, 3 medium, or 4 small.
• Salt – You’ll need a generous amount of salt to pull the excess moisture from your eggplant.
• Flour – All-purpose. You can use gluten-free if needed.
• Eggs – I used large eggs which you’ll need for dredging the eggplant slices through.
• Breadcrumbs – While I used Italian breadcrumbs, you can also use Panko.
• Italian seasoning – If you don’t have this, you can make your own using my recipe here.
• Parmesan cheese – I recommend shredding your own cheese, this way there will be no preservatives or additives. Grana Padano can be used instead.
• Olive oil – Make sure its regular olive oil, not extra virgin. You can also use avocado, sunflower, safflower, canola, or vegetable oils.
• Marinara sauce – Use you favorite type from the store or homemade.
• Mozzarella cheese – Shredded or sliced from a fresh ball.
• Basil – To chop your basil chiffonade, stack the leaves and roll them tightly lengthwise. Then, cut ¼” sliced widthwise.

1. Prep the eggplant. Generously salt the eggplant rounds on both sides. Let them sit on sheets of paper towel for 1-2 hours to draw out the moisture. Press the rounds dry with paper towel. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Brush two sheet pans with 1 tablespoon olive oil in each one.
2. Assemble the dredge. Grab 3 shallow bowls or plates. Add the flour to one, eggs to the second, then breadcrumbs, Italian seasoning, and ¼ cup of the parmesan cheese to the third. Season each bowl with salt and pepper and mix well.
3. Dredge the eggplant. Take an eggplant round and dredge it in flour, then dip in the beaten egg, and finally coat with the breadcrumb mixture. Place the round on one of the prepared baking sheets, and repeat with the remaining rounds. Drizzle the remaining olive oil over the rounds.
4. Bake the eggplant. Bake the rounds for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Reduce the heat in the oven to 375°F after taking the eggplant rounds out. Alternatively you can also fry these on the stovetop in a skillet with oil.
5. Assemble. Spread 1 cup of marinara sauce over the bottom of a 9×13″ baking dish. Lay half of the baked eggplant rounds in a single layer over the sauce, then top with 1½ cups cups of marinara sauce, sprinkle with 1 cup of mozzarella and ½ cup of parmesan. Layer the remaining eggplant rounds, marinara sauce, and cheeses in the baking dish. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and browned.
6. Serve. Garnish with fresh basil or fresh parsley and serve.

Can I Fry The Eggplant?

Absolutely! I prefer baking for the obvious reasons, it’s a lot healthier, quicker and less mess, but you can totally fry them. And if I were to be honest, the fried ones do taste better, but I mean isn’t that always the case? To fry the eggplant follow the steps to prep them and dredge them then heat a bit of olive oil in a skillet and fry a few at a time on both sides until golden brown (see pictures above). Once fried, transfer the eggplant rounds to a paper towel lined plate and repeat with remaining eggplant rounds. To assemble the casserole follow the rest of the instructions.

Why Do I Have To Salt The Eggplant?

When you’re making eggplant parmesan, it’s very important to take your time with the first step and really draw out the excess moisture hiding inside. By salting it generously and giving it a few hours to pull out the water, you will have a much better end result. Without this step, you’ll end up with a very watery eggplant parmesan with soggy breading. Don’t worry about having salty eggplant pieces, either! When you pat and dry the eggplant with paper towel, you’ll end up soaking up most of the salt, leaving behind just a small amount.

Leftovers

Store leftover eggplant parmesan for 3-5 days in an airtight container in the fridge or in the casserole dish wrapped tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Make sure the eggplant parmesan has fully cooled down to room temperature before storing.

To reheat, you can microwave your leftovers or use the oven. Preheat the oven to 375°F and place the eggplant parmesan in a baking dish, then cover the dish with foil. Bake for 15 minutes or until heated through.

Freezing Eggplant Parmesan

If you want to make this dish ahead and freeze it for a busy weeknight, I suggest freezing it unbaked. Let the breaded eggplant cool completely before assembling the casserole. Once assembled, cover the baking dish well with both plastic wrap and foil. It will keep up to 3 months frozen.

To bake, let the casserole thaw overnight in the fridge. Then you can bake per the recipe instructions.

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