Description
Baked Eggplant Parmesan brings layers of cheesy, crispy comfort straight from an Italian kitchen to your dinner table. Tender eggplant slices, golden-brown and nestled between rich marinara and melted cheese, create a satisfying meal that feels like a warm hug from Nonna.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 2 medium eggplants
- 1 ½ cups marinara sauce
- 1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Coating Ingredients:
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup Italian-style breadcrumbs
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Seasoning and Preparation Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil spray
- Fresh basil leaves
Instructions
- Salt your eggplant rounds generously with 1 tablespoon salt and let them rest for 30 minutes to release excess moisture. Pat each slice dry with paper towels.
- Whisk 2 large eggs in a shallow bowl until smooth. Mix 1 cup breadcrumbs with ½ cup Parmesan cheese in another bowl.
- Dunk each eggplant slice into the egg mixture, ensuring complete coverage. Coat thoroughly with breadcrumb mixture, pressing gently to help crumbs adhere.
- Spray a 9×13 inch baking dish with olive oil spray. Spread ½ cup marinara sauce across the bottom in a thin layer.
- Arrange first layer of breaded eggplant slices over sauce. Top with ½ cup marinara and ½ cup mozzarella cheese.
- Create a second identical layer with remaining breaded eggplant, sauce, and ½ cup mozzarella cheese.
- Sprinkle final ½ cup mozzarella over the top. Mist surface lightly with olive oil spray.
- Bake at 375°F for 40 minutes until cheese turns golden and edges become crispy.
- Remove from oven and rest for 10 minutes. Scatter fresh basil leaves on top before serving.
Notes
- Salting the eggplant helps remove bitterness and prevents a soggy final dish, so don’t skip this important step.
- For a gluten-free version, swap regular breadcrumbs with almond meal or gluten-free breadcrumbs to keep the crispy texture.
- Fresh mozzarella creates a more luxurious result, but pre-shredded works perfectly fine if that’s what your pantry holds.
- Letting the dish rest for 10 minutes after baking helps the layers set and makes serving much easier without falling apart.
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 35-40 minutes
- Category: Baked
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4 to 6
- Calories: 270 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 480 mg
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 18 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg