Baked Eggplant Parmesan

This Baked Eggplant Parmesan is a wonderful no fry version of eggplant parmesan, which is how my Italian grandmother used to make it. Not only is it easier, because you can skip all the breading and frying, but it’s so might lighter too allowing more room to serve it with my “can’t eat just one” garlic knot recipe.

To round out the meal you could serve it with a tossed salad topped with my Parmesan Peppercorn Dressing and for dessert, try my Italian-inspired Chocolate Almond Cake. 

How Do You Keep Eggplant From Getting Soggy?

• Skip the breading. This no-breading approach to eggplant parmesan avoids the soggy breading which always slips off because of all the sauce.
• The best way to prepare it is to bake the eggplant in the oven, thinly sliced and brushed with olive oil. This is also the technique I use for my Roasted Eggplant Lasagna and it works wonders for lasagna layers. 
• But if you really have your heart set on breaded eggplant parmesan, just follow the technique for creating crispy breading in my Chicken Parmesan Recipe.

The Ingredients:

• Pure Tomato Sauce Resist the temptation to buy jarred marina sauce for this recipe. Making your own will taste so much better and you can control the amount of salt, spices, and garlic. My grandmother always used Hunt’s Tomato Sauce and it’s my go-to as well. I also use it anytime I’m making Homemade Pizza or Cheese Manicotti. 
• Eggplant Ironically you’ll only need 1 eggplant for this recipe. When sliced at 1/8 of an inch it goes a long way! I swear by my OXO Mandoline for getting the most beautiful slices. You can certainly use a Chef’s Knife for the job, but the mandoline will ensure even slices which will ensure even baking. 
• Parmesan Cheese Buy a wedge of cheese and grate it fresh, you’ll get the best flavor that way. 
• Mozzarella Cheese I use two types of mozzarella for this recipe, grated and sliced, they provide different textures and the grated is best for the top if you like it nice and crispy on top. 
• Italian Spice Blend Is a handy combination of dried Italian herbs, but if you don’t have that you can swap it out for half dried basil and half dried oregano.
• Garlic I’m a garlic lover so I add 2 cloves, but you can reduce to 1 clove if desired.
• Fresh Basil There’s nothing like the combination of gooey mozzarella cheese, tomato sauce, and fresh basil. If it’s out of season and you can’t find it, you can swap it for some fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley. 
• Olive Oil You’ll need for the eggplant, a light brush of oil before baking will prevent it from drying out while in the oven. 

Should You Leave the Skin On?

• Personally, I say yes! The skin protects the eggplant from falling apart and turning into mush.
• I also think the skin adds more texture and flavor to eggplant parmesan.
• It also gives the cheese something to grip to.

Salting the Eggplant Before Baking?

• I say to skip this step. Even though it was something my grandmother always did. She salted the eggplant and left it in a colander to drain to extract its moisture. 
• Personally, I’ve never seen it make much of a difference with baked eggplant parmesan though. It may matter more if breading and frying the eggplant first since a dry eggplant would help the breading stay put.
• But my other issue with the salting is that it makes for really salty eggplant parmesan! Especially since the parmesan cheese is pretty salty.
• So if you do salt the eggplant first, make sure to brush the salt off once the liquid is drained. 

Freezing, Storing and Leftovers

• You can assemble the eggplant parmesan in a freezer safe-oven safe container and freeze it for up to 1 month. 
• Then bake at 400F (covered for 15 minutes) and then uncovered for another 15-20 minutes.
• Alternatively, you can bake it first, allow it to cool completely, then freeze it. To reheat you can place it in the oven as directed above or place it in the microwave until heated through. 
• For leftovers, place the eggplant parmesan between two toasted Kaiser Rolls or Sub Rolls. It makes for great sandwiches the next day! 

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Baked Eggplant Parmesan

Yield: 6

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

This Baked Eggplant Parmesan is a wonderful no fry version of eggplant parmesan, which is how my Italian grandmother used to make it. Not only is it easier, because you can skip all the breading and frying, but it's so might lighter too allowing more room to serve it with my "can't eat just one" garlic knot recipe.

Print

Ingredients

• 1 eggplant, sliced into 1/8" (.31 cm) rounds
• 2 Tbsp (15 ml) Olive oil
• 30 ounces (887 ml) pure tomato sauce/puree
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp (5ml) Italian seasoning
• 1/2 cup (45g) freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 16 ounces (453g) of Mozzarella cheese
• 1/3-1/2 cup (75g, plus) freshly grated mozzarella cheese (as desired)
• 15-20 fresh basil leaves, torn

Instructions

1. Pre-heat oven to 450F.
2. Slice eggplant into thin rounds 1/8" thick and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. You may need 2-3 trays and bake in batches.
3. Brush olive oil lightly on the eggplant. Bake for 20 minutes. Set aside.
4. In a medium-sized saucepot simmer the tomato sauce, and add the garlic, Italian seasoning, and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for 20 minutes.
5. Reduce oven to 400F
6. To assemble, ladle out 1-2 ladles of tomato sauce in a 9 x 12 gratin dish, add a layer of baked eggplant slices, then some of the grated parmesan on top, then a layer of sliced mozzarella, and torn basil leaves, repeat this process until all the ingredients are used up (3 layers) and then top with the last bit of tomato sauce and the shredded mozzarella cheese. Bake at 400F for 20 minutes, or until hot and bubbly!
7. For a toasty cheesy topping, pop under the broiler for 1-2 minutes until cheese starts to bubble and turn golden brown.

Notes

Freezing, Storing and Leftovers

• You can assemble the eggplant parmesan in a freezer safe-oven safe container and freeze it for up to 1 month. 
• Then bake at 400F (covered for 15 minutes) and then uncovered for another 15-20 minutes.
• Alternatively, you can bake it first, allow it to cool completely, then freeze it. To reheat you can place it in the oven as directed above or place it in the microwave until heated through. 
• For leftovers, place the eggplant parmesan between two toasted Kaiser Rolls or Sub Rolls. It makes for great sandwiches the next day! 

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 209Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 23mgSodium: 1004mgCarbohydrates: 18gFiber: 5gSugar: 9gProtein: 10g