This all-star baked eggplant paremsan recipe will be your new go-to! A classic Italian-style casserole with layers of eggplant, Parmesan, fresh mozzarella and basil. Check out the tips and video for how to make it!
Baked eggplant parmesan, or eggplant parmigiana, is one of those classic Italian-style comfort foods most people enjoy. It's also one of my favorite eggplant recipes. I love it so much, I even turned it into an open-faced sandwich so I could serve it as an appetizer.
Much like lasagna, this is a casserole dish made of different layers, but here the star is globe eggplant and there is no pasta involved.
Layers of goodness and flavor with such familiar ingredients. Our layers in this eggplant parmesan include: crispy eggplant slices, mozzarella, Paremsan, fresh basil and tomato sauce.
One important first step makes all the difference in this eggplant Parmesan recipe...
Do you need to salt the eggplant before making eggplant parmesan?
This is something that's been debated, but I do recommend salting your eggplant before making this dish. Globe eggplant can be challenging to work with. It can be bitter and it holds on to moisture. Plus, because of it's somewhat spongy texture, it can absorb way too much oil when fried or baked. If you're not careful, your eggplant casserole could end up being mushy and unpleasant. What can you do to help this? Salt your eggplant slices and let them sit for about 30 minutes or so on a large tray lined with paper towel! The salt will draw out the moisture, and the eggplant will also "sweat out" its bitterness. This step also helps to somewhat break eggplant's "spongy" texture.
How to make eggplant parmesan?
- First, slice and salt your eggplant. Let the eggplant sit on a large tray for a good 30 minutes. Beads of water will emerge, that's a good thing! Wipe the eggplant dry and remove any excess salt.
- Coat the eggplant in flour and eggs. Prepare a bowl of flour and another with beaten eggs. Dredge the eggplant in flour then coat with the eggs, allowing excess eggs to drip back in the bowl.
- Fry the eggplant in a bit of olive oil until golden brown. Lay on paper towels so that they eggplant will drain excess oil.
- Assemble the eggplant parmesan casserole. Prepare a casserole dish with a little bit of your tomato sauce in the bottom. Add a single layer of the fried eggplant slices. Add Parmesan, basil and top with fresh mozzarella slices. Continue layering until all the ingredients are used, finishing with a layer of tomato sauce and the cheese on top.
- Bake on the center rack of your heated oven at 325 degrees F for about 30 minutes or until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese has melted.
- Rest then serve! Give the baked eggplant parm some time to rest before slicing and serving.
Can I bake the eggplant instead of frying?
I've had better results with frying the eggplant, but if you prefer to bake them instead, you sure can! Once you've coated the eggplant slices with the flour and egg, arrange them in a single layer on an oiled sheet pan. Bake for about 18 to 20 minutes at 425°F (turn slices over half-way through) until they are nicely browned. Remove from oven, and let cool a bit before assembling the eggplant parmesan.
Can I freeze cooked eggplant parmesan?
Yes, the beauty about eggplant parm is that you can make it in bulk and freeze it either whole or in pieces for later use. Let the casserole cool completely, then cover tightly and refrigerate for 1 night. From there, you can freeze it in it's own dish (make sure it's freezer safe) but make sure it is well covered and protected. Or, you can cut smaller individual portions and wrap them up really well and freeze. Take out as much as you need at a time and heat, covered, in a medium-heated oven.
Baked eggplant parmesan would keep safe in the freezer, if wrapped well and protected, for 3 months or so. But personally, I would use it up earlier because the quality of the eggplant may be compromised the longer it sits in the freezer.
Serve it with
This is a great vegetarian meal on its own, but if you're looking for some sides to go with it, you can't go wrong with some crusty bread to sop up all the sauce. And to start the meal, try a salad like Panzanella, White Bean Salad, or this hearty Farro Salad with Arugula and Walnuts!
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Eggplant Parmesan Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 eggplants thinly sliced length-wise
- Salt
- 2 large eggs beaten
- Black pepper
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 4 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cups tomato sauce, no salt added
- 2 oz Parmesan cheese, grated (more if needed)
- Large bunch of fresh basil leaves, reserve a few for garnish
- 8 to 10 oz fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced (more if needed)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
- Lay eggplant slices on a large baking sheet lined with paper towel. Sprinkle with salt and set aside for 30 minutes while you prepare the remaining ingredients. Pat dry. (Optional step. See notes)
- Prepare a dredging station with two somewhat shallow bowls, one for the beaten eggs and the other for flour.
- Coat an eggplant slice in the flour (shake off the excess) then dip it into the egg and let excess drip back into the bowl. Repeat with the remaining slices. Set eggplant on a large tray for now.
- Heat the oil in a large frying pan or skillet over medium heat until shimmering but not smoking. Working in batches if necessary, cook the eggplant slices for 3 to 5 minutes on each side, or until nicely golden. Place fried eggplant on paper towels to drain any excess oil.
- Assemble the eggplant parmesan casserole. Spread a bit of the tomato sauce on the bottom of a casserole dish, add a layer of fried eggplant slices, then top with Parmesan, basil, and mozzarella in Season to your taste. Continue layering in this same pattern until all the ingredients are used, finishing with a layer of tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese on the very top.
- Place the dish on a baking sheet and bake in 325 degrees F heated-oven for 30 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese has melted.
- Remove from oven and set aside for 10 minutes before serving. Add a sprinkle of fresh basil on top. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Tip- Salt Your Eggplant: The first step here is to salt the eggplant and set it aside to let it sweat out its bitterness. This is helpful as the salt will also help the texture, and as the eggplant releases moisture, it will absorb less oil. The end result is far more delicious and you avoid a soggy eggplant Parmesan.
- To bake the eggplant instead of frying: If you prefer to bake the eggplant instead, once it's been coated in flour and egg, you can place the eggplant slices on a large lightly-oiled sheet pan. Bake for about 18 to 20 minutes at 425°F (turn slices over half-way through) until they are nicely browned. Remove from oven, and let cool a bit before assembling the eggplant parmesan.
- Can I freeze cooked eggplant parmesan? Yes! I like to cover the casserole well and refrigerate for 1 night. The next day, either freeze it in its own baking dish (make sure it's freezer safe too), covered super well so it's protected. Or, cut the eggplant Parmesan into individual serving sizes and wrap each one in good quality plastic wrap, then freeze them. Take out as much as you need at a time. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat, covered, in a medium-heated oven. While it will keep safe in the freezer for about 3 months or so, best to use it at the earliest chance because so that the quality of the eggplant is not too compromised the longer it sits in the freezer.
- Visit Our Shop for quality Mediterranean ingredients including olive oils and spices.
Nutrition
*This post has been recently revised from an earlier 2019 version. New information and media have been added for readers' benefit.
Love this recipe. Came out delish and was a hit. The second time I made tried baking instead of frying. Didn’t care for it . Going back to frying. Thank you again. 💕
Made this tonight. I turned out perfect. I’m an eggplant convert!
Awesome! Thanks, Kay!
I grew up with eggplant parmigiana made with fresh eggplant from the garden. My mother sliced the eggplant super thin, floured and egged it then fried it. Being thin, it took about 1/2 minute to cook on each side. We froze the eggplant slices rather than the completed dish. She always cooked the parmigiana in a 9" square casserole so we used that to judge how much to freeze in each package. The packages were thin and flat, taking up less room in the freezer and saving a lot of prep time. Her eggplant parmigiana was truly a gift from the gods.
Thank you for sharing that, Joan!
I finally made this recipe Wednesday evening. It took me a long time due to frying the eggplant, but it was worth it. So delicious! I also used frozen, thawed, & squeezed-dry spinach in place of the basil, since basil season here has passed.
This is simply the best. My husband has never enjoyed eating egg plant until he tried this.
It is now added to our list of favorites to be enjoyed often.
Just love your recipes, so pleased I found your site.
Highly recommend.
Thanks so much, Karyn!
I made this recipe today, along with Baked Zucchini with Parmesan and Thyme. Both turned out excellent and complemented each other well with the contrasting basil in the eggplant parm and the thyme in the zucchini.
I made this last night and it was a hit! I didn’t have spinach but super easy and delicious! Thank you for the eggplant tip. Love it!
Thanks, Irene.
I'm about to make the recipe, however the video on Instagram is different than this recipe.
That video shows roasting the eggplant and using more eggplant.
I did not save the video can you pls send me that revised recipe or re-post the video - thank you
Denise
Hello! Just scroll through the post. The recipe card with all of the written details is at the end.
The best eggplant parm recipe ever! It totally turned my kids into eggplant eaters! YAY!
my grandfather was an eggplant farmer in sicily, & i was taught to ALWAYS salt the eggplant "to get the poison out" he said. Also, pick make eggplants-they have less seeds & not as bitter. to tell the difference, look at the bellybutton-if its round, its female, & if elongated, its male. Believe me-it really makes a difference. and this recipe is exacly the one handed down to me!
* male eggplants
Thanks for the tips, Holly!!
I am planning to make this tonight for my vegetarian friend, who does not eat egg. Can I dredge eggplants with bread crumbs n pan fry these
Hi, Shashi! Sorry I'm just seeing your question. It may be too late, but I don't think the bread crumbs would stick very well without the egg.
I've never made eggplant parmesan (or eaten it myself), but with my garden plant laden with beautiful eggplant globes, I decided to try it since my husband loves it on only rarely orders it in a restuarant. I followed your recipe exactly, and used a single layer. My husband SWOONED over it, and raved about it again this morning. I'll definitely make it again soon! I loved it too!
Awesome! Thanks, Elaine!
Just like my family makes it!! Just flour and egg makes for a lighter and more flavorful dish.
Hope you enjoyed it!