Eggplant Parmigiana

20 mins Prep Time

30 mins Cook Time

Written By

Tara Omidvar

Parmigiana di Melanzane or eggplant parmigiana is the ultimate comfort food. Whether you make it in a large casserole dish like lasagna or as a single serving like this recipe, you will definitely fall in love with it. This eggplant parmigiana is saucy, cheesy, crispy and it's packed with flavours. You can use a store-bought marinara sauce to skip a step and the result will still be as tasty.

Don't let the look fool you. There are steps involved in making this dish, but it still comes together fairly quickly and it's worth every second.

Ingredients

Eggplant Parmigiana

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, sliced
6 basil leaves, chopped, plus extra for garnish
2 cups tomato puree
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large eggplant
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 egg
2/3 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
1/2 fresh mozzarella ball (sliced), or 1 cup shredded mozzarella
3 tablespoons Parmesan
Vegetable oil, for frying

Directions

Eggplant Parmigiana

10 Steps

Step 1

Heat up the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for a minute or until golden brown. Add the chopped basil and tomato puree.
Step 2

Season the sauce with salt and pepper. Turn the heat down to low and simmer for about five minutes.
Step 3

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400°F and slice the eggplant into 1/2-inch thick slices.
Step 4

Arrange three bowls containing egg, flour and breadcrumbs. Whisk the egg with 2 tablespoons water.
Step 5

First, coat eggplant in flour on both sides, then dip into egg, and then dip into breadcrumbs.
Step 6

Heat vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat. Fry the eggplants in batches until golden brown and cooked through. Lay on paper towels to soak up excess oil and set aside.
Step 7

In an oven proof dish, spread half of the tomato sauce. Place 3 of the biggest fried eggplants on the bottom. Spoon sauce on top and top with mozzarella.
Step 8

Repeat this process two more times until you have 3 layers of eggplant, sauce and mozzarella cheese (make sure to finish the top with mozzarella).
Step 9

Bake in the oven for about 10 minutes or until cheese has melted.
Step 10

Top with basil leaves and Parmesan. Enjoy!