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by Sonja Overhiser Buy Our Cookbook

This baked Eggplant Parmesan recipe is classic Italian comfort food

at its finest! This hearty dinner will be come a go-to.

Husband and
 cooks. Autho
want to make

ABOUT US

It’s got bubbly cheese, garlicky tomato sauce, and savory, meaty
breaded eggplant: it’s Eggplant Parmesan! This vegetarian Italian
classic is hearty, filling, and pleases just about everyone. Most
restaurants use fried eggplant, but for a homemade version it’s
much simpler to bake. Here’s our best baked Eggplant Parmesan
recipe: faster and easier to make at home than most recipes and
full of incredible flavor. Even our vegetable-averse 5 year old
promptly asked for seconds! We hope it will become a go-to in your
family like it is in ours.

Ingredients in this
Eggplant Parmesan
recipe
Eggplant Parmesan is a classic Italian dish made with layers of
breaded eggplant, cheese, and tomato sauce, then baked until
bubbly. Called parmigiana di melanzane in Italian, it comes from the
Southern regions of Calabria and Sicily but is now served all over
the world. The eggplant is fried in restaurant-style versions, but it’s
easiest to make baked eggplant when making it in your home
kitchen. Here’s what you’ll need for homemade eggplant Parmesan:

Eggplant
Flour (or almond flour for gluten-free)
Eggs
Grated Parmesan cheese
Plain panko (or breadcrumbs; use gluten-free panko for gluten-
free)
Dried oregano
Fire roasted crushed tomatoes
Garlic
Fresh basil
Olive oil
Shredded whole milk mozzarella cheese
A few ingredient notes
As with any Italian dish, the success of this Eggplant Parmesan
recipe depends on the quality of ingredients! Here’s what to look for
when you’re shopping:

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Look for medium eggplants. Size matters here: massive

eggplant rounds don’t look quite as nice in the dish. But
sometimes the grocery only has large eggplants, so use what
you can find! The key is using 2 pounds: it should equal about 18
to 20 rounds.
Use fire roasted tomatoes. Fire roasted tomatoes make the best
flavor: they taste sweet and smoky right out of the can. If you
can’t find them, substitute best quality tomatoes with 1
teaspoon sugar and ½ teaspoon smoked paprika. Or, use 1 ½
cups best quality marinara sauce.
Whole milk mozzarella cheese makes a difference. It melts
much better than part skim and has a richer flavor. It also melts
better when reheating.
How to make Eggplant
Parmesan: some tips
This baked Eggplant Parmesan recipe is faster and easier than
most recipes, but it still takes about 1 hour to make and bake. Keep
this in mind in your meal prepping (and review the notes below on
make ahead tips). Here are a few notes about the process:
 Place salt on the eggplant for just 10 minutes. This seasons
them prior to baking. Many recipes require you to salt the
eggplant for 1 hour, but this is not necessary. (In the past, people
would do this to remove a bitter flavor, but today’s eggplants are
bred to be less bitter. It also allows the eggplant to release
moisture, but that’s not required with this baked method.)
Dredge the eggplant in flour, egg and breadcrumbs. This is the
traditional combination in Italian cooking that you’d do prior to
frying the eggplant. But it works just as well with baking!
Bake the eggplant for 20 minutes at 425 degrees Fahrenheit,
flipping once. The hot oven makes them crispy and golden
brown: like frying but with no extra oil!
Meanwhile, make the tomato sauce. Mix crushed tomatoes,
garlic, fresh basil and olive oil.
Layer the eggplant with tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese in
a baking dish. Bake for 15 minutes until the cheese is bubbly.

Leftover storage and

make ahead tips
This Eggplant Parmesan recipe takes about 1 hour to make, which
is not always possible for a weeknight dinner. We usually make this
one for entertaining or on weekends, but you can also meal prep
some of the components. This recipe also freezes well, which
makes it great for a quick leftover dinner. Here are a few ideas for
make ahead and storage:

Bake the eggplant slices in advance. This saves about 40

minutes off the timing of the recipe. Refrigerate the slices, then
layer the dish and bake the day of making.
Leftovers store refrigerated for up to 3 days. You can make the
entire dish in advance and refrigerate, but it’s so good freshly
 baked that we recommend the above option for make-ahead.
Leftovers store well.
Freeze leftovers in a sealed container for up to 3 months. Place
on the counter or in the refrigerator to thaw, or you can place it
right into a 375 degree oven and reheat until warmed through
and the cheese is melted. (If it’s room temperature, you can
reheat at a higher temperature, like 425.)

What to serve with

Eggplant Parmesan
Traditionally, Eggplant Parmesan is served with pasta. But you can
also serve with salads, sauteed veggies and more. It makes a
hearty, crowd-pleasing vegetarian dinner that’s great for parties and
impressing a crowd. Here are a few ideas:

Easy Angel Hair Pasta

Favorite Chopped Salad
Kale Caesar Salad
Green Beans Almondine or Garlic Green Beans
Sauteed Broccolini
Sauteed Mixed Vegetables
Sauteed Rainbow Chard
Sauteed Kale or Sauteed Spinach
More eggplant recipes
Love working with this tasty vegetable? Here are a few more
eggplant recipes you’ll love:

Try Best-Ever Eggplant Meatballs

Go for incredible Perfect Roasted Eggplant
Opt for Eggplant Caponata
 Grab Roasted Eggplant Pasta

01 02 03 04
Best- Perfect Eggplant Roasted
Ever Roasted Caponata Eggplant
Eggplant Eggplant Pasta
Meatballs

This baked Eggplant

Parmesan recipe is…
Vegetarian. For gluten-free, use almond flour and gluten-free
breadcrumbs or go to Gluten Free Eggplant Parmesan.

Easy Eggplant
Parmesan

★★★★★ 4.5 from 2 reviews

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

 Yield: 6 to 8 1x

PIN RECIPE

This baked Eggplant Parmesan recipe is classic Italian comfort food at its
finest! This hearty dinner will be come a go-to.

Ingredients 1x 2x 3x

2 pounds eggplant (about 2 medium large)

¾ cup flour*
3 eggs
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese,
divided
1 cup plain panko (or purchased or homemade
breadcrumbs)
1 tablespoon dried oregano, divided
1 ¾ teaspoons kosher salt, divided
28 ounces fire roasted crushed tomatoes*
2 garlic cloves, grated
1 handful fresh basil, chopped, plus more to garnish
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded whole milk mozzarella
cheese***

Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Line two
baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Cut off the ends of the eggplant and cut it into 1/2-inch
slices (to make approximately 18 slices). Sprinkle with ¾
teaspoon salt divided between the slices, and allow them
to sit for 10 minutes while you prepare the breading
ingredients. (Don’t wipe off any salt or extra moisture.)
3. Place the flour on a plate. Beat the eggs in a shallow bowl
and set it aside. In another shallow bowl, combine the
Parmesan cheese, breadcrumbs, 2 teaspoons oregano,
and ½ teaspoon kosher salt and set it aside. 
4. Dip both sides of each eggplant slice into the flour, then
the eggs, then the Parmesan cheese mixture. Place each
slice onto the prepared baking sheets. (Note: This gets
messy; you may need to wash or wipe your fingers off
after every few slices.)
5. Place the trays in the oven and bake for 10 minutes, then
flip and bake 10 to 15 minutes more, until tender and
golden brown. 
6. Meanwhile, make the sauce: In a medium bowl, mix the
fire roasted tomatoes, grated garlic, 1 teaspoon dried
oregano, ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, chopped fresh basil, and
olive oil. Mix well until all the olive oil is incorporated. 
7. Remove the eggplant from the oven. Spread 1 cup of the
tomato sauce in the bottom of a 9 x 13″ pan. Add half the
baked eggplant in a layer (about 9 slices), then top with 1
cup tomato sauce and 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese.
Add the second layer of eggplant (we like to add them
right on top of the first layer to make 9 stacks). Top with
another 1 cup tomato sauce and 1 cup shredded
mozzarella on each stack. Top with the remaining 2
tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese.
8. Bake for 15 minutes until the cheese is melted and
browned. Allow to cool for 5 minutes, then top with
additional chopped basil and serve. Store leftovers
 refrigerated for up to 3 days (or frozen for 3 months);
reheat in the oven until warm.

Notes
*You’ll have about ⅓ cup flour left over and about 1 egg, but it’s
easier for the breading. There also may be some panko left over.
These items are not included in the nutritional info.

**Fire roasted tomatoes make the best flavor: they taste sweet
and smoky right out of the can. If you can’t find them, substitute
best quality tomatoes with 1 teaspoon sugar and ½ teaspoon
smoked paprika. Or, use 1 ½ cups best quality marinara sauce.

***Whole milk mozzarella cheese melts much better than part

skim mozzarella, and has a richer flavor. It also melts better when
reheating leftovers. 
 Serves 6
Calories Per Serving:
375

% DAILY VALUE

Total Fat 16% Saturated Fat Total 15% Dietary 29%

12.4g 4.1g Carbohydrate Fiber 8.2g
41.2g

Sugars 10.8g Protein 54% Vitamin A 20% Vitamin C 24%

26.8g 176.1µg 21.5mg

Calcium 47% Iron 3.2mg 18% Vitamin D 6% 17%

613.3mg 1.1µg Magnesium
70.5mg

Potassium 17% Vitamin B6 21% Vitamin 34%

805.7mg 0.4mg B12 0.8µg

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Published on August 1, 2022 / Last updated on September 14, 2022

Categorized In:

DINNER RECIPES
RECIPES

Tagged with:

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CHEESE
EASY
EGGPLANT
ENTERTAINING

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PARTY
TOMATO SAUCE
VEGETARIAN
About the authors

Sonja &
Alex
Meet Sonja and Alex
Overhiser: Husband and
wife. Expert home cooks.
Authors of recipes you'll
want to make again and
again.

ABOUT COOKBOOK
US

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9 Comments

Don York REPLY

August 4, 2022 at 3:09 pm

In step 2, do you leave the salt on the eggplant or wipe it off

before going to step 4? Also, is it 3/4 teaspoon salt on each
slice of eggplant or across all slices? Sorry, I’m a novice
here.
 Sonja Overhiser REPLY

August 8, 2022 at 11:26 am

Great question! We’ve clarified the recipe to state:

“Sprinkle with 3/4 teaspoon salt divided between the
slices, and allow them to sit for 10 minutes while you
prepare the breading ingredients. (Don’t wipe off any salt
or extra moisture.)”

E cook REPLY

August 4, 2022 at 3:18 pm

Interesting recipe. Like the simplicity. I don’t use eggs and

wonder if flax eggs would be a substitute to use? Or any
other ideas you may have. Thanks.

★★★★★

Sonja Overhiser REPLY

August 8, 2022 at 11:29 am

Great question! We have an avocado fries recipe where

we dipped in olive oil after the flour instead of of egg,
and it works well
(https://www.acouplecooks.com/avocado-fries/).
However, you might need a ton of oil for that. I think you
could try flax egg here and it would likely work: you just
need to adhere the breadcrumbs and I think flax eggs
would do a good job of that. We have not tested that, but
let us know if you’re up for trying!
Rita Katz REPLY

August 5, 2022 at 8:18 pm

I love eggplant parmigiana. However tho I am GF I’m also

severely milk product allergic. Aside from Fake corn/potato
starch cheese do you have any suggestions?

Sonja Overhiser REPLY

August 8, 2022 at 11:31 am

Good question! There are lots of great vegan cheeses on

the market these days! We hear good things about
Miyokos mozzarella. They don’t have a vegan Parmesan
but there are other brands that offer vegan Parmesan.
You can also make vegan Parmesan — here is our recipe:
https://www.acouplecooks.com/how-to-make-vegan-
parmesan-cheese-recipe/

Gail Libby REPLY

August 18, 2022 at 9:06 pm

I love your recipes. Eggplant Parmesan is my favorite. I

would like to know if you’re suppose to peel the skin from
the eggplant when making your “Eggplant Parmesan”?

Thank you for your wonderful recipes and your time.

Alex Overhiser REPLY

August 19, 2022 at 9:36 am

No need to peel!
 Pj Sheldon REPLY

September 24, 2022 at 6:57 pm

Tasted good and fairly easy. More time needed for unskilled
cooks.

★★★★

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