Description
This Eggplant Parmesan recipe has layers of lightly breaded baked eggplant, flavorful marinara sauce, parmesan cheese and melty mozzarella. Robust and flavorful, this classic Italian dish is one your whole family will love. Adapted from Ina Garten’s Eggplant Parmesan
Ingredients
- 2 large eggplants (2 1/4 lbs) cut into -1/3- inch thick slices ( see notes)
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 1/4 cup milk, or water
- 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 3/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes- optional
- 1 1/4 cups panko breadcrumbs (panko is lighter than traditional breadcrumbs)
- 1 3/4 cups parmesan cheese, divided (save 1/2 cup for assembly)
- Spray olive oil or olive oil for drizzling
- 28 ounces of Marinara Sauce ( use store-bought or make your own). 3 cups.
- 1 tablespoon fresh oregano, optional
- 12 ounces fresh mozzarella balls, 2 balls thinly sliced (or use 1 1/2 cups grated mozzarella)
- Garnish: basil, cracked black pepper and chili flakes
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Brush or spray the parchment with olive oil.
- Prep eggplant. Slice eggplant into ⅓-inch round slices. See notes.
- Make dry and wet mixtures. In a wide, shallow bowl, whisk eggs, milk, salt, pepper and chili flakes. In another wide shallow bowl, mix equal parts panko and parmesan.
- Dredge. Dip the eggplant slices into the egg mixture, then dredge each side into the panko/parm mixture. Place on the sheet pans, repeating until all are done. Sprinkle any excess panko-parmesan mixture over top. Spray or generously with olive oil.
- Bake eggplant. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden and crispy ( no need to cook all the way through). The goal is to get the eggplant deeply golden and crispy, so be patient. All ovens are different; this may take longer- feel free to use your broiler.
- Assemble. Mix ½ cup water into your marina sauce to make 3 cups. Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish. Cover the bottom with ¾ cup of marinara sauce. Saving the best-looking pieces for the top, layer half of crispy eggplant over the sauce. Drizzle with 1 cup of marinara sauce, add ½ of the sliced mozzarella and half the parmesan. Add fresh oregano if you like. Add the second, final layer of eggplant, cover with remaining marinara, sprinkle with remaining parmesan, and top with fresh mozzarella slices. Season with salt and pepper.
- Bake at 400°F, uncovered, for 20-25 minutes, until golden and the edges are bubbling.
- Garnish with fresh basil.
Notes
Eggplant: If in a hurry, you can slice the eggplant lengthwise- fewer pieces make faster prep!
Salting the eggplant: If you would like to salt the eggplant to remove any bitterness, salt each slice on both sides, until it releases it water, roughly 30-60 minutes. Rinse thoroughly and pat dry. After testing, I have skipped this step to save time, but you do you.
Marinara: Feel free to substitute store-bought marinara sauce. I like Trader Joe’s spicy organic marinara.
Breading Free- If you prefer a breading-free version, roast the eggplant slices ( brush with olive oil and season with salt and pepper) until tender and layer according to instructions. I prefer the breading. 🙂
Leftovers keep up to 4-5 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Freeze baked or unbaked for up to 3 months. Thaw before baking.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: about 1 cup
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 11.9 g
- Sodium: 1398.8 mg
- Fat: 10.5 g
- Saturated Fat: 4.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 30.6 g
- Fiber: 7.7 g
- Protein: 27 g
- Cholesterol: 68.8 mg
