Bring the taste of Italy to your kitchen table with this easy baked eggplant parmesan recipe! Made with layers of crispy coated eggplant, flavorful marinara sauce, and fresh mozzarella cheese!
Prep Time: 15 minutesminutes
Cook Time: 55 minutesminutes
Rest Time: 10 minutesminutes
Total Time: 1 hourhour20 minutesminutes
Servings: 6
Ingredients
2largeeggplant, cut into 1/4"-1/2" slices
½teaspoonKosher salt, plus more for sweating the eggplant
1(16-ounce) packagefresh mozzarella, cut in 1/4" slices
½cupgrated parmesan cheese
For serving: Freshly chopped basil or oregano
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray or brush it with olive oil.
On a work surface, place eggplant slices in an even layer. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt on both sides. Let sit 10 minutes to "sweat" excess moisture. Pat firmly with paper towels.
Separate flour, egg, and breadcrumbs into 3 shallow bowls. Stir Italian seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper into the breadcrumbs. Coat eggplant slices on both sides in flour. Dip in the egg, letting excess drip off. Press gently in breadcrumbs for an even coating and place on the baking sheet.
Bake 10 minutes. Flip and bake 10 minutes more, or until golden brown.
In the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish, spread 1/2 cup marinara. Arrange half of the eggplant slices in an even layer. Top with half of the mozzarella slices, 1/2 cup marinara, and 1/4 cup parmesan. Repeat layers with remaining ingredients, ending on parmesan.
Bake 35 minutes, or until bubbly and golden brown. Top with fresh basil or oregano to serve. Enjoy!
Notes
Pan-fry: If you would rather cook your eggplant on the stovetop instead of bake it, you can pan-fry it. Simple heat 1 to 2 Tablespoons of oil in a skillet and brown breaded eggplant 2 to 3 minutes per side. Repeat until all of the eggplant is fried. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to absorb any extra oils.Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge up to 5 days. Reheat in a 350°F oven and cook until the edges bubble.Freeze before baking:Cover unbaked eggplant parmesan with plastic wrap and cover with foil. Freeze up to 1 month. Thaw at room temperature and bake when ready to eat.Freeze leftovers: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the freezer up to 1 month. Thaw at room temperature and reheat in a 400°F oven until warm.