This recipe for Eggplant Parmesan is flavor packed. Serve it with a crisp green salad and a basket of warm garlic bread for a restaurant quality meal at home.

Easy Eggplant Parmesan Recipe

Eggplant Parmesan is by far one of the most popular Italian restaurant dishes to order when dining out. Perhaps it’s thought of as a dish that’s difficult to recreate but hopefully you’ll see how easy it can be to make at home. This recipe does require several steps but none of them are difficult. How do you make baked Eggplant Parmesan: (Scroll down for full printable recipe.)

To Prepare the Eggplant – Peel eggplant, leaving a few strips of peel intact around the circumference. This helps stabilize the slices.
Slice – Slice into 1/4-1/3 inch thick slices. Arrange the eggplant slices in a single layer on baking sheets lined with doubled paper towels. Sprinkle all over lightly with kosher salt. Top with another sheet of paper towels, pressing down. Set aside to let the bitter juices weep from the eggplant. Once juices have released, use paper towels to rub gently removing kosher salt. (You can rinse and pat dry with paper towels as well.)
Make the Dredging Station:
1st – Place the flour in a medium size shallow plate or bowl and whisk in salt.
2nd – In another medium size shallow bowl whisk the egg and milk together with salt.
3rd – In a large shallow bowl whisk together breadcrumbs, Italian seasoning, salt and black pepper.
Dredge the Eggplant – Dredge each eggplant slice first in the flour, then dip in the egg, and finally dredge it into the breadcrumb mixture pressing to adhere. Have nearby a sheet pan brushed with vegetable or olive oil. Transfer slices laying side by side in a single layer. Repeat with the remaining eggplant slices. Spray the tops liberally with cooking spray or drizzle with additional oil.
Bake – Preheat oven to 400°F. Bake eggplant slices flipping halfway through. Remove from oven and set aside.
Assemble – Spray a 13×9 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Spread marinara sauce on bottom of dish. Cover the bottom of the baking dish with one layer of eggplant, then sprinkle with 1 cup mozzarella cheese, a sprinkling of grated Parmesan and Italian seasoning.
Drizzle cheese with sauce, then repeat layers.
For the last layer drizzle the eggplant with marinara sauce before ending with mozzarella cheese, grated Parmesan and Italian seasoning.
Bake – Place eggplant into the oven and bake per the recipe until hot and bubbly and the cheese is just beginning to brown.
Let stand for 5 minutes then cut and serve immediately garnished with fresh basil and additional Parmesan cheese, if desired.

How to Make the BEST Eggplant Parmesan Recipe

Ingredients you’ll need to make homemade Italian Eggplant Parmesan: Fresh eggplant, dried Italian seasoned breadcrumbs, panko breadcrumbs, dried Italian seasoning, salt, kosher salt, black pepper, jarred marinara sauce, shredded mozzarella cheese, grated Parmesan cheese, basil, olive oil or vegetable oil, cooking spray, large eggs, milk all purpose flour.
Kitchen tools you’ll need: Large sheet pans, sharp knife and cutting board, 13×9 inch baking dish, cheese grater, large spoon, measuring cups and spoons, serving spatula.
This recipe shows how to roast the eggplant so you can skip the frying. Assemble then bake as directed. It’s a great hack to skip the frying.
If you want to fry the eggplant slices you can. Fry the slices in batches in a large skillet drizzled with olive oil over medium high heat for around 3 minutes per side or until fork tender.
The amount of layers can vary depending on the size of the eggplants used. Divide ingredients evenly between layers, regardless.
You can use any marinara sauce from the grocery store that you enjoy. You can also make your own favorite tomato sauce.
There’s no need to peel the eggplant completely if they’re fresh. In fact, leaving some strips of peel intact helps to hold their shape.
The amount of layers can vary depending on the size of the eggplants. Divide ingredients evenly between layers, regardless if you end up with 3 or 4 layers.
Store baked Eggplant Parmesan chilled in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Reheat in single servings in the microwave or in a gratin dish in a 375°F oven.

More Easy Italian Recipes to Make

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Make this Crockpot Pasta Casserole in your slow cooker.
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Baked Pizza Spaghetti is flavor packed.
Italian Wedding Soup from Cooking Classy.

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