My version of eggplant parmesan, a classic Italian dish with beautifully simple flavors. The eggplant is sliced thin and fried, then layered with homemade tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, parmesan, and fresh basil. It’s baked until the cheese is melted and bubbling. It’s a wonderful vegetarian main dish, hearty enough to be served on its own or with a side of spaghetti.
This post is sponsored by DeLallo.
eggplant parmesan – the details
Every Italian family has a slightly different way of making this classic dish. While the main ingredients remain standard (some sort of tomato sauce, eggplant, and cheese), there are many subtle variations you can do. You can cut/cook the eggplant in various ways, you could use different cheeses or add in different spices & herbs.
I took inspiration from my dad’s recipe, which layers the ingredients like lasagna. I love this form for its ease of assembly and the result of everything melding beautifully together as it bakes.
While he doesn’t use breadcrumbs for his eggplant (only flour and egg, which gives the finished texture a lighter feel), I ended up frying the eggplant with a standard breading, making this a little heartier and more filling as a main dish.
the layers
There are 5 layers of this eggplant parmesan – slices of fried eggplant, tomato sauce, grated parmesan cheese, fresh basil, and shredded mozzarella. As with most Italian dishes, and especially ones that rely on simplicity, it’s so important to use high-quality ingredients.
Here are my tips and suggestions for making the most of each of these different components.
the fried eggplant
Find large, Italian eggplants and slice them very thin. The goal is around an ⅛ of an inch, give or take. You’ll want to cut the eggplant lengthwise so that each piece is a long strip, which will help create sturdy layers. For the breading, I prefer buying plain bread crumbs and seasoning them at home simply with dried oregano, granulated garlic, and salt. Frying in olive oil gives the eggplant really good flavor.
the tomato sauce
I highly recommend making your own sauce. This recipe is simple and highly flavorful. I use DeLallo San Marzano Style Whole Peeled Tomatoes, which have an extremely fresh and vibrant taste. Buying them whole and crushing them by hand allows the tomatoes to retain some texture. You’ll quickly cook shallots and lots of garlic in olive oil, add the tomatoes, season really well and simmer for just 20 minutes. Fresh parsley at the end makes everything pop.
the grated parmesan & basil
I recommend either grating your own parmesan from a block of real parmigiano reggiano or finding it from a store that grates it freshly themselves. The ingredient list should have no additional ingredients (especially any powders) and ideally the label would specifically say “imported” or “parmigiano reggiano”.
For the basil, fresh is best and definitely adds a lot to the flavor of this dish!
the mozzarella
For the best quality eggplant parmesan, I’d recommend buying a block of whole milk mozzarella and shredding it yourself. It’s a pesky task that I think is really worth it. Similar to the parmesan, anything that is pre-shredded typically comes with anti-caking agents, which reduce the quality of the finished product. There’s truly nothing like the flavor & texture of freshly shredded mozzarella cheese.
I stacked each layer four times in a deep baking dish, which gave the finished product lots of height and great texture. You’ll first bake it covered in foil so that everything can heat through and the cheese can fully melt. And then I like to finish it under the broiler to brown the top.
It’s a labor of love, but the result is absolutely sensational. You can serve the eggplant parmesan on its own or with a side of spaghetti!
PrintEggplant Parmesan
eggplant parmesan baked until the cheese is melted & bubbling, with layers of tomato sauce, slices of fried eggplant, mozzarella, parmesan, and fresh basil
servings: 12
Ingredients
Tomato Sauce
- 2 (28 oz) cans DeLallo San Marzano Style Whole Peeled Tomatoes
- ½ cup olive oil
- 2 shallots, minced
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- 3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
Fried Eggplant
- 2 lbs Italian eggplant, ends trimmed + sliced ⅛” lengthwise
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 tsp kosher salt, plus more as needed
- 4 eggs
- 3 cups fine, plain breadcrumbs
- 2 tbsp dried oregano
- 2 tbsp granulated garlic
- olive oil, for frying
Assembly
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 cup torn fresh basil leaves
- 1 ½ lbs shredded whole milk mozzarella cheese
- 1 lb DeLallo Spaghettini, cooked according to package (optional)
Instructions
Tomato Sauce
- Pour the cans of tomatoes into a bowl and use your hands to crush them, leaving them a little chunky.
- Heat a medium-sized pot over medium heat. Add the olive oil. Once hot, add the shallots and garlic. Cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Pour in the tomatoes, along with the salt, red pepper flakes, and dried oregano. Whisk to combine.
- Bring the sauce to a simmer and then reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring often. Lastly, turn off the heat and stir in the fresh parsley. Let cool slightly.
Fried Eggplant
- Set up a work station with 3 large, shallow bowls and a sheet pan. In one bowl, combine the flour and 1 teaspoon of salt. In another bowl, whisk the eggs. In another bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, dried oregano, granulated garlic, and remaining 2 teaspoons of salt.
- Dredge each slice of eggplant through the flour, eggs, and then breadcrumbs. Gently lay the slices onto the sheet pan as you go.
- Heat a large stainless steel skillet (you could use 2 to speed up the process) over medium heat. Add enough olive oil to come about an ⅛” up the sides of the pan. Once hot, fry the eggplant in a single layer, about 2 minutes per side. Work in batches, adding more oil, wiping out the pan, and adjusting the heat to medium-low as needed.
- Transfer each slice of eggplant to a sheet pan lined with paper towels. Season immediately with a pinch of salt. Let cool slightly.
Assembly
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Add a little sauce to coat the bottom of a deep (9” x 13”) baking dish. Arrange an even layer of eggplant, spread 1 cup of sauce over top, sprinkle a ¼ cup of parmesan, a ¼ cup of basil, and approximately a ¼ of the mozzarella cheese.
- Repeat the layers 3 more times. Cover with foil and bake for 50 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake for 10 minutes. Broil for 1-2 minutes until browned.
- Let the eggplant parmesan rest out of the oven for about 20 minutes before slicing. Slice into 12 pieces. Serve with spaghetti if desired.
