Description
25 Succulent Eggplant recipes the whole family will love- from Moussaka to Baba Ganoush, to the Best Eggplant Parmesan (recipe below), you’ll find inspiration here!
Ingredients
- 2 extra large eggplants, cut into -1/3 inch thick rounds ( 24 or 27 slices)
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 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.
- 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes
- Spray olive oil or olive oil for drizzling
- 28 ounces Marinara Sauce (store-bought or make your own)
- 2 fresh mozzarella balls, thinly sliced (or use 8 ounces grated)
- 1 tablespoon fresh oregano, optional
- Garnish: fresh basil, chili flakes
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F
- Slice eggplant into ⅓ inch slices.
- In a wide, shallow bowl, whisk eggs, water, salt and pepper. In another wide shallow bowl, mix equal parts panko and parmesan.
- Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment. Dip the eggplant slices into the egg mixture, letting excess drip off, 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 drizzle generously with olive oil. Bake 20-25 minutes, until golden and crispy. The goal here is to get the eggplant golden and crispy, so be patient here. All ovens are different, this may take longer- feel free to use your boiler.
- Assemble: Grease a 9×13 inch baking dish. Cover the bottom with ¾ cups marinara sauce. Saving the best-looking pieces for the top, place a layer of crispy eggplant on the bottom. Drizzle with ½ of the remaining marinara, add ½ the mozzarella and half the parmesan. Add fresh oregano if you like. Add the final layer of eggplant, cover with remaining marinara, sprinkle with remaining parmesan, and top with mozzarella. Season with salt and pepper and chili flakes.
- Bake at 400 F uncovered for 20-25 minutes until beautifully golden and edges are bubbling.
- Garnish with basil ribbons.
Notes
Storage: Leftovers Eggplant Parmasan will keep up to 4 days in the fridge for freeze for up to 6 months.
Salting: Feel free to salt the eggplant before making this- slice and salt each piece, let stand 30 minutes. Rinse an pat dry.
Parmesan: Use high-quality fresh grated parmesan if possible and even though this is called “Eggplant Parmesan” I love using half-pecorino cheese here for optimum flavor.
Lightened-up version: You can roast the eggplant without any breading, or just bread one side for a lighter option.
Gluten-Free Use gluten-free bread crumbs, or use roasted eggplant instead of breaded eggplant.
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