This all-star Eggplant Parmesan recipe will be your new go-to! A classic Italian vegetarian casserole with layers of eggplant, Parmesan, fresh mozzarella, and basil.
Classic Eggplant Parmigiana: Crispy, Saucy, and Super Simple!
Eggplant parmesan, or eggplant parmigiana, is one of those classic Italian comfort foods and one of my favorite eggplant recipes to make. We are big eggplant lovers in my house, so it’s often requested and alwasy enjoyed! 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. Like my zucchini parmesan, you get all the comfort with no pasta involved!
Layers of goodness and flavor with such familiar ingredients as crispy eggplant slices, mozzarella, Parmesan, fresh basil, and tomato sauce.
How to Make Eggplant Parmesan
- First, slice and salt your eggplant. Let the eggplant sit on a large tray for 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 into the bowl.
- Fry the eggplant in a bit of olive oil until golden brown. Lay the eggplant on paper towels so that it 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°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 Instead of Fry Eggplant?
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 halfway through) until they are nicely browned. Remove from the oven, and let cool a bit before assembling the eggplant parmesan.
Do You Need to Salt Eggplant?
To salt or not to salt has been debated in culinary circles for ages, but I recommend salting eggplant.
Globe eggplants can be bitter, and they hold on to moisture. Plus, because of its 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. Salting eggplant slices draws out the moisture, and the eggplant will also “sweat out” its bitterness. This step also helps to somewhat break the eggplant’s “spongy” texture.
How to Freeze Eggplant Parmesan
You can make eggplant parmesan and freeze it either whole or in pieces for later use.
To freeze the whole casserole: Bake it and let the casserole cool completely, then cover tightly and refrigerate for 1 night. The next day, freeze it in its own freezer-safe dish, make sure it is wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, then aluminum foil. To reheat, let the casserole thaw in the fridge overnight. When ready, remove the plastic wrap, cover again with the foil and heat in a 350°F oven for 45 minutes.
To freeze individual servings: Bake the casserole, and let it cool completely. Cut individual portions and transfer to freezer-safe containers. If needed, wrap them in foil. Freeze. Reheat in a 350°F oven for 20 minutes from frozen.
It will keep for up to 3 months in the freezer.
What to Serve with Eggplant Parmesan
This is a great vegetarian meal on its own, but if you’re looking for some Italian recipes to go with it, you can’t go wrong with some roasted garlic and rosemary focaccia to sop up all the sauce.
When tomatoes are at their peak, make Panzanella or for a lighter option, try Dandelion Greens, or these Italian stewed peppers called Peperonata. I had them in Italy, and they are just summer in a bowl.
If you’re serving a crowd who prefers to have meat at the table, serve Eggplant Parmesan as a side to Pork Chops with Bay Leaf and Lemon.
Eggplant Recipes to Try Next
Ingredients
- 2 eggplants, thinly sliced length-wise
- salt
- 2 large eggs beaten
- black pepper
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour, (or gluten-free flour)
- 1/4 cup 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 oz fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced (more if needed)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F.
- Salt eggplant. 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)
- Set up the dredging station. Prepare a dredging station with two somewhat shallow bowls, one for the beaten eggs and the other for flour.
- Batter the eggplant. 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.
- Fry the eggplant. 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 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, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. 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.
- Bake. Place the dish on a baking sheet and bake in 325°F oven for 30 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese has melted.
- Rest and serve. 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.
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Nutrition
*This post has been recently revised from an earlier 2019 version. New information and media have been added for the readers’ benefit.
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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!
Hi, I’m interested in making this recipe but am trying not to eat all-purpose or wheat flours. Do you think it would turn out okay to coat the eggplant with almond, coconut or chickpea flour? If so, which would you recommend? Thanks
Hi Connie, I think you can try another flour alternative. All you need is a coating to create a thin crust on the eggplant.
This dish is fantastic! I had to substitute some of the ingredients. I’m on a low sodium diet, so I used salt substitute to bring out the moisture in the eggplant. Also, we didn’t have any tomato sauce so I used 1 1/2 cups of spaghetti sauce. It was delicious! I’m not a big fan of eggplant, but my sister said it was the best she’s ever eaten, even in a restaurant! Thanks so much for your tips, Suzy and the recipe.
Just made your Easy Eggplant Parmesan Recipe ~ Delicious! Thanks so much for this and signed up for your newsletter. Best wishes, Leslie
Leslie, I am so so glad you enjoyed it!
Can you use Salt substitute instead of salt to salt the eggplant to draw out the moisture? I’m on a low sodium diet .
I am not aware of any. I usually use a lower-sodium kosher salt.
The recipe is great! I didn’t have tomato sauce so I see Prego traditional sauce and turned out yummy! Definately use the chink mozzarella! Makes the dish! A bit of work, but worth it when you have fresh eggplant from the farmer’s market!
Wonderful, Bonnie! Thank you for giving it a try!
This was amazing!! Hearty and full of flavor. I pan fried the eggplant and honestly I’m sure it make the difference over baking it. I also added a few shakes of garlic powdered to each layer, (do it, if you’re garlic lover) I will definitely be making this recipe again. Thank you!!!!
Glad to hear it!
Made this tonight..it was delicious! Very flavorful..thank you
I’m so glad to hear it, Nancy! Thank you for giving it a try
Love this meatless version!
Awesome! Enjoy
Yay!
I am a huge fan of eggplant parmesan and this recipe does not disappoint!