Easy Eggplant Parmesan
I’ve been making this easy eggplant parmesan recipe for many years. It’s crispy, cheesy and incredibly delicious. Baked to perfection, this is one recipe that your entire family will enjoy. It’ truly comfort food at its finest.
About this Eggplant Parmesan
This eggplant parmesan recipe has a few steps that can take some time, so be sure to give yourself about two hours to complete this dish. While it is slightly labor intensive, it is totally worth it. Once you bite into the perfectly crispy, cheesy eggplant, topped with delicious marinara sauce and cheese, you’ll be so glad you made this recipe. Serve this eggplant parmesan with a side salad and some fresh baked Italian bread.
How to Make Eggplant Parmesan
When prepping the eggplant, remove the ends and slice the eggplant into 1/2 inch thick slices. Place the sliced eggplant flat on a baking tray and dust both sides with a light dusting of salt. Allow the eggplant to rest at room temperature for 30-40 minutes. The salt will draw out any excess moisture or bitterness from the eggplant. Pat the eggplant dry with a paper towel. Once you complete this step you are ready to bread the eggplant.
After the eggplant is breaded, you will fry the eggplant in canola or vegetable oil. Be sure the oil reaches 375 degrees before adding the breaded eggplant. Plus, you will only add 2-3 pieces of breaded eggplant to the hot oil at a time to prevent overcrowding the pan. Overcrowding reduces the oils temperature and you run the risk of the eggplant getting soggy vs. crispy. Place the golden brown eggplant on a paper towel to absorb any excess oil. Repeat until all of the eggplant is fried. This recipe serves 5 people about 2 pieces of fried eggplant. Serving will vary based on the size of your eggplant. Please see below for nutritional information.
Storage
Leftovers can be store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for three to four days. Reheat in the microwave until heated through. Enjoy leftovers in a baked eggplant parmesan sandwich or try adding the eggplant to a bed of cooked pasta for a fun and tasty twist.
Looking for more delicious dinner recipes? Try my Tofu Parmesan.
Easy Eggplant Parmesan
Ingredients
Eggplant / Sauce:
- 1 large eggplant, remove ends and slice into rounds
- salt, lightly dust the rounds and let them rest
- 1 – 1.5 cups vegetable oil, for frying
- 1 – 1.5 cups marinara sauce, store bought is fine
- ½ cup shredded mozzarella
Breading Station:
- ½ cup AP flour, all purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 large egg, whisked
- 2 tablespoons 2% milk
- 1 cup Italian breadcrumbs
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
Equipment
- 1 baking dish
- 1 baking tray
- 1 sauce pot
- 3 plates for the breading station
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Gently spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with baking spray and set it aside.
- Heat your favorite marinara sauce in a sauce pot. Simmer over low heat.
- Cut the ends off of the eggplants. Slice the eggplant into ½ inch thick rounds.
- Place the sliced eggplant on a baking tray and dust both sides with table salt.
- Then, let the eggplant sit at room temperature for 30 – 40 minutes. The salt will extract any bitterness and moisture from the eggplant.
- Once the salted eggplant has rested for 30 – 40 minutes, gently pat the eggplant with a paper towel to absorb any moisture and excess salt.
Breading the Eggplant
- Combine AP flour, salt and pepper on one plate.
- Combine egg and 2% milk on the second plate. Whisk well.
- Combine the breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese on the third plate. Mix until well combined.
- Next, dredge the eggplant through the flour, followed by the egg mixture, then the breadcrumb mixture. Make sure each piece is well coated. Repeat for all eggplant rounds.
- Heat vegetable oil in a frying pan over medium high heat. Once the oil hits 375 degrees, begin frying the eggplant.
- Only add 2-3 pieces at a time to prevent overcrowding the pan. Fry each side for 1-2 minutes, or until both sides are golden-brown.
- Place the golden-brown eggplant on paper towel to absorb any excess oil. Repeat until all of the eggplant is gently fried.
Assemble the Dish
- Add two ladles of red sauce to the bottom of your baking dish. Line the dish with a layer of golden-brown eggplant. Top with extra sauce and mozzarella cheese.
- Cover with foil and bake for 25-30 minutes. Option to remove the foil and broil for an extra 2-3 minutes so the cheese is extra bubbly and brown.
- Serve warm and enjoy!
One Comment on “Easy Eggplant Parmesan”
This is a great recipe! I followed exactly except I decided to bake the eggplant rounds, rather than frying. Will definitely make again!