Eggplant Parmesan
Updated April 4, 2024
- Total Time
- 1 hour 35 minutes
- Prep Time
- 10 minutes
- Cook Time
- 1 hour 25 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
Ingredients
- 2medium globe eggplants (about 2½ pounds), stems trimmed
- Salt
- 1cup all-purpose flour
- 4large eggs, beaten
- 4cups/10½ ounces panko bread crumbs
- Olive oil
- 2(24-ounce) jars store-bought marinara sauce (or use homemade; see Tip)
- Fresh basil
- 2cups/8 ounces shredded low-moisture mozzarella
- ½cup/2 ounces grated Parmesan
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)
503 calories; 21 grams fat; 7 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 8 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 59 grams carbohydrates; 8 grams dietary fiber; 14 grams sugars; 21 grams protein; 1057 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Arrange two racks on the top third and bottom third of the oven. Heat the oven to 425 degrees.
- Step 2
Cut the eggplants lengthwise into ½-inch-thick slices. Salt both sides and let sit across two sheet pans to sweat for 10 minutes.
- Step 3
Prepare a breading station with three wide, shallow bowls. Add the flour to one bowl, the eggs to another and the panko to the third. Pat the eggplant slices dry, dip each in the flour, then the beaten eggs and finally the panko, really packing on the bread crumbs with your hands.
- Step 4
Generously grease the two sheet pans with olive oil and place the breaded eggplant in a single layer across both pans. Bake until crispy, switching the positions of the pans halfway through, about 30 minutes.
- Step 5
Meanwhile, to a large saucepan, add the marinara sauce and a sprig of basil. Fill one of the empty marinara sauce jars with ½ cup water, swish around, then pour into the second jar and swish again; pour this tomatoey water into the saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium-high and cook, stirring constantly, until heated through, about 5 minutes. Taste and add salt if desired.
- Step 6
Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking pan or casserole dish (and set it on a sheet pan, if desired, to catch any potential spillover). Put down half of the baked eggplant in a single layer, cutting any pieces to make them fit. Cover with half of the sauce (about 2½ cups). Then, sprinkle over half of the mozzarella, followed by half of the Parmesan. Add a few basil leaves over the top. Top with another layer of the remaining eggplant, followed by the remaining sauce, then the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan. Bake on the bottom rack, uncovered, until browned on top and bubbly at the edges, 25 to 30 minutes.
- Step 7
For clean slices and distinct layers, let the pan cool for at least 30 minutes before cutting into it. Before serving, top with more basil leaves.
- To make a homemade marinara sauce: While the eggplants are baking, heat a saucepan over medium-high and add enough oil to generously coat the bottom. Stir in 7 chopped garlic cloves, 2 teaspoons dried oregano and ½ teaspoon red-pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. Purée two (28-ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes, preferably San Marzano, and add to the pan, along with ½ cup water swished around both cans to catch any clinging tomato. Season with salt. Bring the sauce to a simmer and cook, lid ajar and stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, 30 to 40 minutes. Taste and add more salt as desired and a pinch of sugar if needed. Makes about 5 cups.
Private Notes
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Comments
In summer at the height of eggplant season, I go bread crumb less. Grill your eggplants folks! Dry on paper towels and proceed with layering sauce ( or fresh tomatoes also dried on paper towels), and some chopped basil and cheese. Delicious
One of my favorite dishes, and I learned to make it from my Sicilian grandmother & aunts. They would have been less than pleased if I used 1/2" slices! Very thinly sliced was the goal when prepping the eggplant. I am often disappointed in restaurant versions of this dish because the eggplant is just thick slices. Time saving? Yes. Delicious? Nope.
Like any iconic Italian dish,depending on what village the cook came from, which street, which block, even which side of the street they lived on, you would be told that their way of cooking it was the best and only authentic way to make said dish. It boarders on superstition. Make Eggplant Parmigiana the way you like it and that’s the way to make it. If you haven’t a clue where to start, this recipe is a very good starting place.
As in many of the comments, I had a Sicilian grandmother and a Pugliese grandfather. We always peeled the eggplant. sliced it very thin but thick enough to flour and bread. Lately we have oven baked ours vs frying also. Never mozzarella. Only pecorino romano and basil between the layers. I also lowered the oven temp to 400.
I should have trusted the recipe enough to have used two jars of marinara sauce, as suggested; instead, I used only one and it came out too dry. However, the panko bread crumbs worked like a charm. No problems with soggy eggplant etc
This was a delicious recipe, the best eggplant parm we have ever had. We get locally grown eggplants in August and always make different recipes. This time was the first with sauce from a jar and we used Rao’s Sensitive Marinara. We sliced the casserole out of the oven into 4 strips of 2 portions, had the first for a wonderful dinner, froze two for colder weather, and will have the last over the next few days.