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1 Comment Ah, eggplant parmigiana—that glorious Italian oven dish loaded with layers of tender eggplant, rich tomato sauce, melty mozzarella, and a shower of Parmesan cheese. It’s hearty, it’s cheesy, and honestly, it’s pure comfort on a plate. If you love Italian food, this classic melanzane alla parmigiana absolutely belongs in your recipe repertoire!
Table of contents
Why this recipe works
- Vegetarian Italian favorite : Italians make the tastiest vegetarian dishes, like this pasta aglio e olio or check out all Italian recipes.
- Easy meal prep: This recipe is easy to prepare fully in advance up to 24 hours before your dinner. It also freezes really well.
Recipe Ingredients
Gather these ingredients to create your new favorite baked dish:
- Eggplant – look for firm eggplant that is has no damaged skin
- Tomato sauce – I like to mix tomato sauce with diced tomatoes and a spoonful of tomato paste. Fresh, juicy tomatoes work too when they’re in season.
- Fresh basil – you can add other fresh vegetables like oregano, thyme or even a bit of rosemary to mix up flavors
- Mozzarella – I used about one ball, but feel free to go wild with two if you’re a cheese lover.
- Parmesan cheese – the dish is called parmigiana for a reason so don’t skimp on the parmesan. You can add other grated cheese in addition if you want it even cheesier.
How to Make Eggplant Parmigiana
1. Grill (or Fry) the Eggplant
The secret to a great eggplant parmigiana is perfectly cooked eggplant. Ideally, you’ll grill the slices until golden brown. But if grilling feels like a hassle (we’ve all been there), you can also cut the eggplant into cubes and fry them instead. It’s quicker and just as delicious!
Pro tip: Make sure the eggplant is fully cooked before layering—undercooked eggplant is a kitchen tragedy we don’t want.
2. Make the Tomato Sauce
While your eggplant is doing its thing, whip up the tomato sauce. It’s super simple but crucial: season it well with salt, pepper, and oregano. A richly flavored sauce is what makes this easy eggplant parmesan irresistible.
3. Building The Layers
Here’s the fun part—assembling your masterpiece:
- Start with a spoonful of tomato sauce at the bottom of your baking dish.
- Add a layer of eggplant.
- Sprinkle Parmesan and fresh basil.
- Add mozzarella (either between each layer or just pile it on top if you’re conserving cheese).
- Repeat until you’ve used everything !
The last layer should be with mozzarella and parmesan cheese. You want that golden baked top with that slight crunch. And serve with fresh basil.
Step 1: Start by placing a bit of the tomato sauce at the bottom of the oven dish
Step 2: Make a layer of grilled eggplant on top of the tomato sauce.
Step 3: Sprinkle a generous amount of grated cheese on top of the eggplant. Adding a few basil leaves for extra flavor.
Step 4: Tear the mozzarella and divide over the grated cheese. Now repeat these layers until you’ve ran out of ingredients.
Final step: Bake to Perfection
Pop your assembled eggplant parmesan into the oven at 180°C (350°F) for about 30 minutes. You’re aiming for bubbling cheese, a golden top, and a kitchen that smells like an Italian trattoria. Use a sharp knife to slice through the tender eggplant layers—unless you went the cube route, in which case, just scoop and serve!
Suggested Side Dishes For This Recipe
There are loads of delicious recipes that would work great as a side dish to the casserole. Think garlic bread (or why not go all-out fusion and make this skillet bread with chipotle?), a simple easy green salad such as this cucumber and lettuce salad, or garlic green beans. The dish is vegetarian but you can add easy little meatballs as a side if you’d like.
While this dish is relatively easy to put together you can greatly enhance the flavors by increasing the time you take to cook the tomato sauce. Use a high-quality canned San Marzano tomato or homemade marinara, and simmer it longer than you think (20–30 minutes minimum). A thicker sauce means less moisture in the final dish, and it delivers a deeper, richer flavor that complements the eggplant beautifully.
Eggplant Parmigiana FAQ
I like grilling the eggplant as that gives it a smoky flavor and it gives it a more crispy texture. But it will also add additional oil as you will need to brush the eggplant slices with oil.
Yes, my version of the eggplant parmigiana is definitely gluten-free.
Yes the dish lends itself really well for preparing in advance. You can assemble it and keep it in the fridge for up to 24 hours, making it ideal to serve at a dinner party or for meal prepping.
Love Eggplant? Try These Next!
If you’re an eggplant enthusiast like me, you’ll love these recipes too:
Did you try the recipe? I would love it if you let me know through a rating or review on the recipe card below. And if you never want to miss another new recipe, make sure to sign up for the newsletter here and I will keep you up to date!
Eggplant parmesan recipe
Eggplant parmigiana
Ingredients
- 2 eggplants
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 bunch basil
- 1 ball mozzarella or two!
- 100 g Parmesan cheese grated
Tomato sauce
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 400 ml passata
- 400 g tomatoes diced
- 3 tbsp dried oregano
- salt and pepper
Equipment
- Baking dish 20 x 25 cm
How to make eggplant parmesan
- Start by grilling the eggplant slices. To do this, cut the eggplant into slices about 1 cm thick. Fry them in a frying pan or on a grill plate/pan until they become translucent. Fry them on both sides! This may take a while, so don’t set the heat too high. Fry the slices in batches until they are all done.2 eggplants, 1 tbsp olive oil, salt and pepper
- Meanwhile, prepare the sauce. Heat a large frying pan with some olive oil. Fry the onion until translucent. Add the garlic and fry briefly. Pour in the passata and diced tomatoes and add the dried oregano.2 tbsp olive oil, 1 onion, 2 cloves garlic, 400 ml passata, 400 g tomatoes, 3 tbsp dried oregano
- Let it simmer for a while to thicken. Season with salt and pepper.
- Now preheat the oven to 180˚C/350˚F. (top- and bottom heat)
- Take the baking dish and start with a layer of tomato sauce. Arrange a few slices of eggplant on top. Sprinkle with a layer of Parmesan cheese and some fresh basil. You can also sprinkle some mozzarella on top.1 bunch basil, 100 g Parmesan cheese, 1 ball mozzarella
- Repeat this until everything is used up and finish with the mozzarella. Bake in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes or until everything is melted, golden brown, and bubbling.
Notes
Nutrition Information per portion:
Disclaimer:
The nutritional values above are calculated per portion. The details are based on standard nutritional tables and do not constitute a professional nutritional advice.
I love eggplant in general and I do love it in particular for this easy casserole. I’ve been know to add even more cheese to it than suggested. So good!