Baked eggplant parmesan
80 min · 17 g protein · 300 cals / serving
Thick slices of eggplant in a crisp parmesan crumb, baked instead of fried, then layered with a quick garlicky marinara and melted mozzarella until bubbling. All the comfort of the Italian-American classic, with a tender middle and golden, cheesy edges.
Ingredients
Crumb coating
- 2 eggs, beaten with 2 tbsp water
- 3/4 cup breadcrumbs, panko or dried
- 2/3 cup grated parmesan, divided; or a vegetarian hard cheese (traditional parmesan uses animal rennet)
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp olive oil, divided, or olive oil spray
Marinara
- 3 cloves garlic, sliced
- 2 cans (14 oz each) canned crushed tomatoes
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 2/3 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
To serve
- a handful fresh basil
Steps
- Sprinkle the eggplant slices with half the salt and leave them on a rack or towel for 15 minutes, then pat dry. This seasons them and draws out some water so they crisp rather than steam.
- Heat the oven to 425°F and brush two baking sheets with 2 teaspoons of the oil. Mix the breadcrumbs, 1/3 cup of the parmesan, the oregano and garlic powder. Dip each slice in the beaten egg, then press into the crumbs on both sides. Lay them on the sheets, brush or spray the tops with the rest of the oil and bake 25 minutes, turning once, until golden and tender.
- Meanwhile, warm the garlic in a saucepan with a splash of the tomatoes for a minute, then add the rest of the tomatoes, the basil, pepper flakes, pepper and the remaining salt. Simmer 15 minutes.
- Lower the oven to 400°F. Spread a third of the sauce in a 23×33 cm (9×13-inch) dish, add half the eggplant, a third of the sauce and half the mozzarella, then repeat, finishing with the rest of the mozzarella and parmesan.
- Bake 20–25 minutes until the cheese is bubbling and browned in spots. Rest 10 minutes, then scatter over torn basil.
Good to know
Do I have to salt the eggplant?
Modern eggplants are rarely bitter, so it is mostly about texture. The salt pulls out water, which is what lets the baked slices crisp instead of turning soft.
What do I serve with it?
A green salad, or a small portion of spaghetti with some of the sauce. A square is a hearty plate on its own.
Can I make it ahead?
Bake the slices and make the sauce a day ahead, then layer and bake when you need it. Assembled leftovers reheat well in the oven, less well in the microwave.
Alternative
Per
- Calories
- 98
- Protein
- (23%)
- 5 g
- Fat
- (40%)
- 4 g
- Carbohydrates
- (37%)
- 11 g
- of which sugar
- 5 g
- Fiber
- 3 g
- Sodium
- 327 mg
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Computed from the ingredients with our published formula, not yet kitchen-tested. How
As written, 1801 kcal goes into the pot and 2417 g of ingredients comes out as about 1840 g of food: 98 kcal per 100 g. Cooking moves water and energy density is the score's biggest lever, so the dish is scored as cooked, not as an average of its parts. Every ingredient links to its food page, with the same data and score. The label's percentages are each macronutrient's share of the calories. The full formula.