Eggplant Parmesan

Classic Eggplant Parmesan is a comforting Italian-American dish made with crispy breaded eggplant, marinara sauce, and melted cheese, baked until golden and bubbly.

Course Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine American, Italian Inspired, Southern

Keyword baked-eggplant-parmesan, easy-eggplant-parmigiana, eggplant-parmesan

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 50

Stand time 5

Total Time 1 25

Servings servings

Calories 520kcal

Ingredients

3 med-large eggplant peeled and cut into 1/4-1/3 inch slices
1-2 Tbsp kosher salt
1 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp table salt divided use
3 large eggs
3 Tbsp milk
2 cups dried Italian breadcrumbs
2 cups panko breadcrumbs (Italian seasoned or plain)
2 tsp dried Italian seasoning divided use
1 tsp black pepper
vegetable oil or olive oil for brushing sheet pan
5 cups shredded mozzarella cheese divided use
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
7 cups prepared marinara sauce
fresh basil for garnishing

Instructions

To Prepare the Eggplant: Peel eggplant, leaving a few strips of peel intact around the circumference. 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, about 30-60 minutes. Once juices have released, use paper towels to rub gently removing kosher salt. (You can rinse and pat dry with paper towels as well.)
To Bread the Eggplant Set Up a Dredging Station:
1st Bowl - Place the flour in a medium size shallow plate or bowl and whisk in 1/4 teaspoon salt.
2nd Bowl - In another medium size shallow bowl whisk the egg and milk together with 1/4 teaspoon salt.
3rd Bowl - In a large shallow bowl whisk together breadcrumbs, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, remaining 1 teaspoon salt and black pepper.
Dredge eggplant slices 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 tops liberally with cooking spray or drizzle with additional oil.
Preheat oven to 400°F. Bake eggplant slices for 10 minutes then flip and bake for another 10 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside. (You can broil to brown further, if desired)
To Assemble: Spray a 13x9-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Spread 1 cup marinara sauce on bottom of the 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 around 2 cups sauce, then repeat layers. (The amount of layers can vary depending on the size of the eggplants used. Divide ingredients evenly between layers, regardless.)
For the last layer, drizzle eggplant with marinara before ending with mozzarella cheese, grated Parmesan and Italian seasoning.
Place eggplant into the oven and bake until hot and bubbly and the cheese is just beginning to brown, about 30 minutes.
Let stand for 5 minutes then cut and serve immediately garnished with fresh basil leaves and additional Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Notes

Pasta Sauce - You can use any marinara sauce or spaghetti sauce that you enjoy. You can also make your own tomato sauce.
Skip Frying - This recipe shows how to roast the eggplant so you can skip the frying in classic eggplant parmigiano.
Classic Frying Technique - If you want to fry the eggplant slices you can, of course! Fry the slices in batches in a large skillet drizzled with olive oil over medium-high heat for around 3 minutes per side or just until fork tender.
Divide the Ingredients - The amount of layers you'll end up with can vary depending on the size of the eggplants used. Divide ingredients evenly between layers, regardless.
Leave Peel Intact - 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.
Herbs - You can use fresh parsley or fresh oregano.
Cheese - You can use an Italian blend of cheese for the cheesy layers. A blend of Asiago cheese, provolone cheese, parmigiano reggiano, mozzarella cheese or colby jack cheese could work in a pinch.

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