Eggplant Parmesan

Eggplant Parmesan is one of my favorite dishes when I want to go meatless. Not convinced that a meatless meal can be a hearty meal? I would urge you to give eggplant parmesan a try.

eggplant parmesan in a serving dish


I have to say that eggplant parmesan may not be the quickest dish to make, but I promise the results are better than most of the eggplant you get at a restaurant. Give this recipe a try, and I promise you will want to make eggplant parmesan often.

Sometimes when you order this dish from a restaurant it is soggy, but yours won’t be soggy.

We are going to slice the eggplant and then salt it and wait to let the salt pull out excess water so we will have eggplant that isn’t soggy.

After the water pools up on the eggplant, you will need to blot off the excess with a paper towel to remove the excess water and, more importantly, the excess salt.

Ingredients

Here’s a list of what you need:

  • Eggplant
  • Salt
  • All-purpose flour
  • Bread flour
  • Eggs
  • Olive oil
  • Onion
  • Garlic
  • Canned stewed tomatoes
  • Italian seasoning blend
  • Vegetable oil
  • Shredded Parmesan cheese
  • Mozzarella cheese

I am using breadcrumbs for this recipe to coat the eggplant. I like to use homemade, but store-bought will also work just fine.

How to Make Eggplant Parmesan

  1. Wash and slice the eggplant into 3/8-inch slices.
  2. Sprinkle salt over the sliced eggplant on both sides. Place salted eggplant on a rack over a pan or paper towels.
  3. Allow eggplant to rest for about an hour.
  4. Pat eggplant dry with paper towels at the end of the hour to remove excess water and salt.
  5. In a medium-size saucepan over medium heat, combine oil, onions, and garlic. Cook until the onions have become translucent.
  6. Add stewed tomatoes and Italian seasoning and stir. Reduce heat to low and allow to simmer. 
  7. Create an egg wash by whisking together 3 eggs.
  8. Drop sliced eggplant into the egg wash, then flour, and place on a wire rack.
  9. Drop floured eggplant into the egg wash then dredge in breadcrumbs. 
  10. Place the breaded eggplant back on the wire rack.
  11. Place oil in the bottom of a large skillet over medium-high heat.
  12. Cook breaded eggplant for a couple of minutes on each side, until golden brown on both sides.
  13. Allow cooked eggplant to drain on a wire rack.
  14. Place cooked eggplant in a baking dish and top each piece with Parmesan cheese.
  15. Ladle some sauce over each piece of eggplant.
  16. Top with Mozzarella cheese and bake at 375 degrees until the cheese has melted.

Recipe Notes

When I cook up the eggplant, I sometimes cook a few extra pieces and allow them to cool. Then I store them without the sauce. This way when I reheat the eggplant another evening it will be crisp and less soggy when I reheat the eggplant parmesan.

After I cook the eggplant I like to let it rest on a wire rack. I think it drains of better on a wire rack than paper towels.

When you put it on paper towels, the bottom side can steam with the heat of the food. The wire rack allows the eggplant to simply drain leaving both sides crispy.

No matter how you do it, you can make a delicious eggplant Parmesan that will rival any restaurant’s recipe.

baked eggplant parmesan in a serving dish

Favorite Vegetarian Recipes

Be sure to check out more of my Italian food recipes and the best vegetarian recipes here on CopyKat.com!

eggplant parmesan in a serving dish

Eggplant Parmesan

Eggplant Parmesan is a well-known Italian dish. Eggplant is fried crispy and baked with marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese. 
5 from 2 votes
Print Pin Rate Add to Collection
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: Eggplant Parmesan, Vegetarian
Prep Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
Servings: 8
Calories: 414kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds eggplant
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 cups bread flour
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 cup chopped onion
  • 3 teaspoons chopped garlic
  • 29 ounces stewed tomatoes (2 cans)
  • 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning blend
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 pound mozzarella cheese

Instructions

  • Wash and slice the eggplant into 3/8 inch slices. Sprinkle salt over the sliced eggplant on both sides. Allow eggplant to rest for about an hour to let the excess water in the eggplant to be pulled out via the salt. Pat eggplant dry with paper towels at the end of the hour to remove excess water and salt. 
  • While eggplant is resting you can make the sauce. In a medium-size saucepan over medium heat combine oil, onions, and garlic. Cook until the onions have become translucent. Add stewed tomatoes and Italian seasoning and stir. Reduce heat to low and allow to simmer. 
  • Preheat oven to 375 and begin breading eggplant. Create an egg wash by whisking together 3 eggs. Dropped sliced eggplant into the egg wash, then flour, and place on a wire rack for it to “dry”. Once you have placed the flour layer on the eggplant, repeat with another coating of egg wash, and then dredge in breadcrumbs. 
  • Place the breaded eggplant back on the wire rack. Cook eggplant by placing about 1/4 cup of cooking oil in the bottom of a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place eggplant a few at a time in the skillet. Be careful not to overcrowd the eggplant. Cook for a couple of minutes on each side, cook until golden brown on both sides. Allow eggplant to drain on a wire rack. Place cooked eggplant in a baking dish, top each piece of eggplant with some Parmesan cheese.
  •  Ladle some sauce over each piece of eggplant. If you have plenty of eggplant you may want to make another layer of eggplant, Parmesan cheese, and sauce. Top with Mozzarella cheese and then bake until the cheese has melted.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 414kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 86mg | Sodium: 770mg | Potassium: 575mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 510IU | Vitamin C: 11.7mg | Calcium: 242mg | Iron: 3mg

About Stephanie Manley

I recreate your favorite restaurant recipes, so you can prepare these dishes at home. I help you cook dinner, and serve up dishes you know your family will love. You can find most of the ingredients for all of the recipes in your local grocery store.

Stephanie is the author of CopyKat.com's Dining Out in the Home, and CopyKat.com's Dining Out in the Home 2.

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