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
- Slice eggplant into ⅓-inch round slices. see notes.
- In a wide, shallow bowl, whisk eggs, milk, salt, pepper and chili flakes. In another wide shallow bowl, mix equal parts panko and parmesan.
- Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment. Spray the parchment with spray oil ( or brush). 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 20-25 minutes, until golden and crispy. The goal is to get the eggplant golden and crispy, so be patient. All ovens are different, this may take longer- feel free to use your boiler.
- Mix ½ cup water into your marina sauce to make 3 cups.
- Assemble: Grease a 9×13 inch baking dish. Cover the bottom with ¾ cup marinara sauce. Saving the best-looking pieces for the top, layer half of crispy eggplant over the sauce. Drizzle with 1 cup marinara, add ½ of 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.
- Bake at 400 F uncovered for 20-25 minutes until beautifully golden and edges are bubbling.
- Garnish with fresh basil.
Notes
Eggplant: If in a hurry, you can slice the eggplant lengthwise- fewer pieces make faster prep.
Tomato Sauce: 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.
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
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