Eggplant Parmesan Recipe
This baked Eggplant Parmesan recipe is one of the most requested recipes on my blog. I make it with breaded slices of globe eggplant fried until crispy, then layered with pomodoro sauce, fresh mozzarella, and basil. It serves up to 8 people and is the perfect Italian-American main dish to share with family and friends.
Ingredients
- 3 medium to large sized globe eggplants, the goal is 12 thick slices
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 6 large eggs
- 2 cups bread crumbs
- 2 cups grated parmigiano Reggiano, + more for garnish
- 2 tsp garlic granules
- 2 tsp onion granules
- 2 tbsp dried parsley
- 1 lemon zest, about 1 tablespoon + more for garnish
- 6 cups prepared pomodoro sauce
- 1 pound fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
- 25-30 fresh basil leaves, + more for garnish
- oil for frying and garnish
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Preparing the eggplant:
- Remove the stem end of the eggplant. Next, make a thin slice of side of it so 1 slice isn’t just a peeling. Then make ½ ich thick slices. You should get between 12 and 14 slices of eggplant.
- Place the eggplant in a single later on a rack over a sheet tray, or even on paper towels, and gently season each side with salt. Maybe an 1/8 teaspoon per eggplant. Let them sit for 30 minutes to help draw out some moisture.
- Next, pat the eggplant dry on both sides with paper towels. Then, place them on kitchen towels or paper towels and cover them with kitchen or paper towels. Add the sheet trays on top of them and then add some weight. You could use jars of tomatoes, cast iron skillets, etc. The goal is to help squeeze out any last bit of moisture. Let them sit for 20 minutes.
- After this stage, simply place them back on the racks to airdry for 10 minutes. I know these stages seem a little much, but in order to get crispy eggplant, I’ve found this to be the best technique.
Prepare the breading:
- While the eggplant sit is when I prepare the breading. In a 9” cake tin or wide shallow bowl, add the flour and season with salt, and pepper, and mix to combine.
- In a separate 9” cake tin or wide shallow bowl, whisk the eggs with a seasoning of salt and pepper until combined.
- Next, in another 9” cake tin or wide shallow bowl, mix the breadcrumbs, ½ cup of Parmigiano, garlic granules, onion granules, dried parsley, lemon zest, and a seasoning of salt and pepper. Taste it, should be delicious.
- Once the eggplant is done drying out bread them. Taking 1 slice at a time, coat completely in the flour. Knock of any excess then coat it in the egg wash until it’s covered on all sides. Drain off any excess and dredge it in the breadcrumbs. Make sure to press down and pack the crumbs in. Repeat the process until they’re all done. Set them to the side on a rack and let sit for 10 minutes.
- During this time is when you should also prepare or have your tomato pomodoro sauce on hand.
Cooking:
- Preheat the oven to 375°.
- In a large non-stick frying pan add in enough cooking oil until there is about a half inch in the bottom of it. Heat it until it is roughly 375° over medium heat.
- Add 3 to 4 eggplant at a time to hot oil. The temp of it will drop, which is ok and why I started at 375°. Cool for about 90 seconds or so per side or until golden brown. Once they’ve been cooked on both sides, set them to the side to drain on paper towels. Repeat the process until all the eggplant are fried.
- In a deep 12x8 or shallow 13x9 casserole dish, add in about a scant 1 cup of pomodoro sauce. Lay in 3 eggplant in the 12x8 or 4 in the 13x9 casserole dish.
- Add on several slices of the mozzarella, sprinkle on about a 1/3 cup of the parmigiano. Next, sprinkle on 6 to 8 of the basil leaves, then repeat the process with the pomodoro sauce. Repeat the process until all the ingredients used ending in just the eggplant. Top off with 1 cup of pomodoro sauce, the rest of the cheese slices about the remaining ½ cup of parmigiano.
- Bake in the oven on a middle rack at 375° for 40 minutes. Then broil on high for 3 to 4 minutes or until golden brown on top. Remove and rest it at room temperature for 20 minutes. Slice and serve with extra pomodoro sauce, parmigiano, basil, and lemon zest.
Notes
If I had to pick my top tip for making the best Eggplant Parmesan, it would be to pre-salt the eggplant. Why? Because this step is key to removing as much moisture as possible. If you skip it, you can end up with a lot of water in the bottom of the casserole dish and mushy eggplant, which is exactly what I have always hated. So, I highly recommend not skipping this step, along with the other chef tips I share in detail below.
Fry at 375°F, not 350°F: The oil temperature drops the second the eggplant hits the pan, so starting at 375°F means it actually fries at the temperature I want. Start at 350°F and the eggplant sits in cooler oil, soaks up too much of it, and comes out with a heavy crust. Hard pass!
Zest the lemon into the breadcrumbs because it is the single ingredient in this whole recipe that brightens the finish and cuts through any bitterness left in the eggplant. Skip it, and the dish can start to taste pretty basic by the second forkful.
End on eggplant, then top with sauce and cheese: The final layer under the top sauce is always eggplant, not mozzarella. That gives the casserole a real structural top layer to slice against, and it keeps the fresh mozzarella at the surface where it can brown under the broiler.
Rest 20 minutes, this is a must! I recommend you to set a timer once the casserole comes out of the oven, super easy. Slicing into a hot dish is what wrecks the presentation on a plate that took an hour of prep to earn.
Make-Ahead: I bread and fry the eggplant slices up to a day ahead, store them in a single layer on a paper-towel-lined sheet tray in the fridge, and layer the casserole and bake it the day I want to serve it. The finished casserole itself does not sit well in the fridge before baking, because the breading loses its crunch overnight.
How to Store: I keep leftovers in the casserole dish covered tight with foil in the fridge for up to 3 days. Eggplant gets weird quick, and this dish is not one that improves the longer it sits, so eat it inside 3 days for the best texture.
How to Reheat: I warm leftover slices covered with foil in a 350°F oven for 12 to 15 minutes, until the cheese is soft again and the sauce is bubbling around the edges. The eggplant does start to break down every time it is reheated, so a leftover slice is never as structured as the first-night slice.
How to Freeze: I do not recommend freezing this one, but it can be done. Wrap individual portions tight in foil, freeze covered for up to 20 days, and thaw in the fridge for a full day before baking to warm through.
Nutrition
Calories: 647kcalCarbohydrates: 47gProtein: 42gFat: 32gSaturated Fat: 17gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0.02gCholesterol: 246mgSodium: 1339mgPotassium: 285mgFiber: 3gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 1110IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 885mgIron: 4mg