Baking instead of frying makes the flavor of the eggplant the star of the show in this lighten-up, easy-to-make Eggplant Parmesan.
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What's the Story Behind this Recipe?
If your family is anything like mine, this lighter, healthier version of classic eggplant parmesan will become an immediate favorite. (Bonus: It's super easy to make and easy on the budget too.)
Eggplant Parmesan wasn't always one of my favorite things. Sure, it smelled wonderful and looked like a savory plate of Italian heaven, but whenever I had the opportunity to sample it, all I could taste was breading and oil. I knew there had to be a better way, so I started making my own adaptation, baking the eggplant slices first instead of frying them.
Surprise, surprise! Not only is it delicious when baked instead of fried, but doing so actually allows the eggplant to be the real star of the show!
What Goes into this Recipe
★ Eggplant: There are many varieties of eggplant. For this recipe, we recommend using American or Italian globe eggplants, also known as aubergines (i.e., the big, meaty, purple kind).
In addition to the eggplant, you will need:
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
★ Marinara: Use your favorite marinara sauce; homemade or jarred.
Check the Tips & FAQs below for a quick and easy marinara sauce hack.
★ Mozzarella: We recommend using a higher moisture, fresh mozzarella; however, a low-moisture mozzarella will work just fine. The less moisture in the mozzarella, the less soft and melty the top of the casserole will be.
★ Parmesan: Use a high-quality parmesan for best results. A mixture of asiago, Romano, and parmesan also works very well in this dish.
★ Bread crumbs: We like using a mixture of Panko and seasoned Italian bread crumbs. We've also made this with homemade bread crumbs with good results.
If you use all plain bread crumbs, add an additional teaspoon each of oregano and basil to the bread crumb mix.
★ Milk: Use any milk or alternative milk.
★ Herbs: Use dried herbs for the breadcrumb mixture. Use fresh herbs for garnishing and serving.
How to Make Easy Eggplant Parm
Prep Eggplant
Cut the eggplant into ½-inch slices. (You do not need to peel them.)
Arrange the eggplant on baking trays and sprinkle generously with sea salt. Let sit for 30 minutes.
Rinse eggplant slices in a colander, and pat dry with paper towels.
Bread & Bake Eggplant
Preheat oven to 425°F | 218°C.
Coat 2 large baking sheets lightly with 1 tablespoon olive oil each.
Mix bread crumbs, half the parmesan, basil, oregano, and paprika together.
This is optional, but we like to pulse the breadcrumb mixture in a small blender so that all the elements are uniform. This makes for much more even breading on the eggplant slices.
Place mixture in a resealable plastic bag or flat bottom bowl.
Whisk eggs and milk together in a separate bowl.
Dip eggplant slices first into beaten eggs, and then coat with the breading mixture. Place coated eggplant slices on prepared baking sheet.
Bake at 425°F | 218°C for 10 minutes. Flip the eggplant slices over and bake an additional 10 minutes, until golden brown.
Remove the eggplant slices from the oven from oven and set aside.
Assemble & Bake Casserole
Reduce oven temperature to 375°F | 190°C.
Generously butter a 9x13 baking dish, or spray with nonstick cooking spray.
- A. Spread a cup of marinara sauce over the bottom of the pan, and layer half of the eggplant slices over the sauce. Spread 1 cup of sauce over the eggplant slices.
- B. Sprinkle with the remaining parmesan cheese.
- C. Layer on the remaining eggplant slices.
- D. Cover with the remaining sauce.
- E. Top evenly with grated or sliced mozzarella.
Cover with a lid or foil and bake in 375°F | 190°C preheated oven for 40 minutes.
Remove cover and bake an additional 15-20 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. (Remove the cover sooner if you like your eggplant parm a little more crispy around the edges like we do.)
When the casserole is done, the internal temperature should be at least 165°F | 74°C.
Expert Tips & FAQs
Quick & Easy Marinara Sauce Hack
- Chop one large onion and sauté it in 1 tablespoon of butter or olive oil until translucent; about 10 minutes.
- Add two chopped garlic cloves and cook for one more minute.
- Place sautéed mixture in a blender cup. Add one can of crushed or diced Italian tomatoes and 2 cups of jarred or canned spaghetti sauce.
- Pulse until smooth.
Best practices for traditional eggplant preparation contends that salting eggplant cut and/or draws out the eggplant's bitterness. More importantly, salting reduces the sponginess and results in a creamier, juicier texture.
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Easy, Baked-not-Fried Eggplant Parmesan
Equipment
- 1 Colander
- 1 9x13 baking dish or lasagna pan
- 1 Whisk
- 1 small blender optional
Ingredients
- 2½ pounds American or Italian eggplants i.e, aubergines; about 2 large eggplants
- 2 teaspoons sea salt or as needed for sweating eggplant
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 large eggs
- ⅓ cup milk or alternative milk
- 1 cup seasoned Italian breadcrumbs or homemade breadcrumbs
- 1 cup plain Panko bread crumbs or homemade breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 4 cups marinara sauce homemade or store-bought
- 12 ounces mozzarella thinly sliced or grated
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese divided; about 4 ounces
- ½ cup fresh basil optional
Instructions
Prep Eggplant
- Cut the eggplant into ½-inch slices. (You do not need to peel them.)Arrange the eggplant on baking trays and sprinkle generously with sea salt. Let sit for 30 minutes. Rinse eggplant slices in a colander, and pat dry with paper towels.
Bread & Bake Eggplant
- Preheat oven to 425°F | 218°C. Coat 2 large baking sheets lightly with 1 tablespoon olive oil each.
- Mix bread crumbs, half the parmesan, basil, oregano, and paprika together. This is optional, but we like to pulse this mixture in a small blender so that all the elements are uniform. This makes for much more even breading on the eggplant slices. Place mixture in a resealable plastic bag or flat bottom bowl.
- Whisk eggs and milk together in a separate bowl.
- Dip eggplant slices first into beaten eggs, and then coat with the breading mixture.
- Place coated eggplant slices on prepared baking sheet. Bake at 425°F | 218°C for 10 minutes. Flip the eggplant slices over and bake an additional 10 minutes, until golden brown.
- Remove the eggplant slices from the oven from oven and set aside.
Assemble & Bake Casserole
- Reduce oven temperature to 375°F | 190°C.
- Generously butter a 9x13 baking dish, or spray with nonstick cooking spray. A. Spread a cup of marinara sauce over the bottom of the pan, and layer half of the eggplant slices over the sauce. Spread 1 cup of sauce over the eggplant slices.B. Sprinkle with the remaining parmesan cheese. C. Layer on the remaining eggplant slices. D. Cover with the remaining sauce. E. Top evenly with grated or sliced mozzarella.
- Cover with lid or foil and bake in 375°F | 190°C preheated oven for 40 minutes. Remove cover and bake an additional 15-20 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. When the casserole is done, the internal temperature should be at least 165°F | 74°C.
Notes
- Chop one large onion and sauté it in 1 tablespoon of butter or olive oil until translucent; about 10 minutes.
- Add two chopped garlic cloves and cook for one more minute.
- Place sautéed mixture in a blender cup. Add one can of crushed or diced Italian tomatoes and 2 cups of jarred or canned spaghetti sauce.
- Pulse until smooth.
Leftovers: Refrigerate cooked eggplant parmesan in airtight containers or resealable bags for up to 5 days.
Nutrition
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.
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Originally posted October 13, 2013. Updated with new content, images, and recipe instructions for a better reader experience.
Pech says
I've never been much of a fan of eggplant parmigiana for the very reasons you state- I usually go for chicken (or tofu) because it didn't get oily, but I'll have to keep this baked version in mind!
Adventures in Dressmaking says
Neat! I first discovered this dish in college and made it with my friend once, but it always seemed too time-consuming to make for an everyday meal. I don't feel that way anymore, though! I don't eat grains but almond meal would substitute perfectly for the breadcrumbs, and I'd probably make it with no cheese/milk or very little--but maybe some extra butter or lard! =)
Renée ♥ says
Almond meal is great! I have used it a few times, and I love the subtly sweet flavor it imparts. I find this approach to making Eggplant Parm to be far less labor intensive than the traditional method = so much so that it has become one of my weekday go-to meals.