Eggplant Parmigiana

5 from 5 vote

This Parmigiana di Melanzane (Traditional Eggplant Parmigiana), is a classic Italian dish featuring tender eggplant slices layered with a simple tomato basil sauce, delicious cheeses, and baked until crispy golden brown.

Prep Time1

Cook Time45

Total Time1 45

Course: Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine: Italian, Sicilian

Keyword: casserole, eggplant, Italian comfort food, vegetarian

Servings: people

Calories: 227kcal

Author: Lora

Equipment

1 baking tray
1 Large skillet
1 9x13 Casserole

Ingredients

FOR THE FRIED EGGPLANT:

2 medium-sized globe eggplant rinsed and dried ~1 pound each*
¾ cup all-purpose flour may need more
2 large eggs whisked with a little bit of filtered water
2 cups breadcrumbs

FOR THE EGGPLANT PARMIGIANA:

4 cups homemade tomato sauce
1 lb mozzarella cheese in small pieces and slices for the final layer– approximately 4 cups
1 cup shredded Parmigiano Reggiano cheese plus more for serving
¼ cup fresh basil leaves
Pinch of red pepper flakes optional

Instructions

Prep your equipment

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with paper towels paper. If you're not pan frying and baking instead, line the sheets with parchment paper. Get out a large baking casserole (I used 9x13 casserole). Set them aside.

Saltwater brine:

While the eggplant is in the brine, you will prep the quick sauce. It's a very easy sauce to make and the better the quality sauce, the more authentic and delicious this is! If you prefer, use a very good quality store-bought sauce.
Slice eggplant: remove stem from eggplant and peel the eggplant in sections (you'll be leaving long sections of the peel on), then slice into ¼-1/2 inch thick slices.
Soak eggplant: fill a large bowl or pot with cold water. Add about 1-2 tablespoons of kosher salt or sea salt per quart of water. Stir until the salt is fully dissolved. Submerge the eggplant slices in the saltwater solution. Place a plate or another weight on top (like a pot) to keep the eggplant fully submerged for 30-45 minutes.
Drain and rinse: drain the eggplant in a colander. Rinse the eggplant slices under cold water to remove any excess salt. Pat dry.

Make the sauce:

Prepare the homemade tomato sauce (or use your favorite store-bought) and set aside.

Bread eggplant:

Prepare 3 different bowls for your dredging station with whisked eggs, flour, and breadcrumbs.
Flour: Coat each eggplant slice with flour on both sides.
Eggs: Then dip into the egg wash, letting the excess drip off.
Breadcrumbs: Next, dip into the breadcrumbs, gently patting it into both sides and shake off any excess. Place the breaded eggplant slices on baking sheet or large platter as you go.

Pan frying method:

In a large skillet, add 2 Tablespoons of oil at a time, and cook eggplant on medium-high heat 2-3 minutes per side, until golden brown. Be sure there is enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan. Don't overcrowd as you're cooking.
Lay on paper towel lined plate or baking sheet while you cook the rest. Change the oil in between if gets too dark. Repeat until all the eggplant is fried. While you're frying the eggplant, preheat the oven to 400F.

Baking method:

Line baking sheets with parchment paper and brush some olive oil on the parchment paper (or brush olive oil directly on the baking sheets) and arrange the breaded eggplant slices. Bake at 425 degree F for 10 minutes then carefully flip each slice over and cook for an additional 5 to 10 minutes, until lightly golden brown and tender to the touch. Remove from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 400 degrees F.

Assemble the Parmigiana:

Assemble: In a 9×13 casserole dish, spread a thin layer of homemade tomato sauce. Arrange a layer of fried eggplant slices, mozzarella cubes and grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. Repeat with this layering until you finish the ingredients, reserving ⅓ of the sauce for the final layer. Finish with a generous layer of cheese on top.

Bake the Parmigiana:

Bake: cover loosely with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake 20-25 minutes until sauce is bubbling, cheese is melted, and it's golden on top.
Serve: Remove from the oven and let it rest for about 10 minutes before slicing. Good luck with waiting, we never make it 10 minutes! Garnish with fresh basil leaves.
Enjoy: Serve the eggplant Parmigiana with some crusty bread or with a side of pasta.

Notes

Salt water brine: Important to always salt the eggplant before making this dish or place the slices in a saltwater brine. This will help the eggplant to not discolor.
Eggplant: Slice ¼ inch to ½ inch thick, it doesn't have to be precise.
To bread or not to bread: Traditional eggplant parmigiana does not have breadcrumbs, and you could fry it just dipping it in flour, or fry it without any flour or breadcrumbs (like they do in Sicily!).
Sauce: I make my own homemade sauce and use the best San Marzano DOP tomatoes or like I did with this recipe, I used my own jarred tomatoes. If you use a not so great tomato sauce, the dish will not taste as good!
Cheese: Do not use parmesan cheese, it's not the same quality or flavor as Parmigiano Reggiano. If you have pecorino, you could use that grated in place of the Parmigiano. Use fresh or shredded mozzarella. My mom prefers the shredded, because she like how it melts. Up to you!
Leftovers: This dish gets better the next day and even the day after that. Let it cool down and store it wrapped well. It goes really great heated up with pasta and some extra sauce. Or serve it with a nice big salad.
To freeze: If you are making it ahead, bake it in disposable foil trays. Let it cool down completely before wrapping and freezing.
Don't forget to enjoy with penne with a simple tomato sauce and some amazing Garlic Bread.

Nutrition