This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy. We love making family-friendly, Italian-inspired dishes, from Baked Ziti, Bruschetta, Lasagna, and Tuscan Shrimp Pasta. It’s a special bonus when we can incorporate fresh ingredients like tomatoes, fresh herbs, and eggplant straight from our summer garden.
Eggplant Parmesan Recipe
Eggplant, also known as “aubergine,” may seem exotic, but it belongs to the nightshade family, making it as common as its relatives, tomatoes and potatoes. While we don’t cook with it often, it’s a real treat when we do. One of my guilty pleasures is my mom’s Spicy Eggplant dish. If you’re a fan of eggplant, or even if you’ve never tried it, this easy Eggplant Parmesan recipe is a must-add to your culinary repertoire. You won’t regret it!
Tips for Choosing a Good Eggplant
When shopping at the store, farmer’s market, or your home garden, here’s what to look for:
Size: small to medium-sized eggplants, as they tend to be less bitter and have fewer seeds. The eggplant should feel heavy due to its high water content. Sound: Give the eggplant a gentle knock; a hollow sound might indicate it is older and contains more seeds. You want one that sounds dense and solid. Appearance: Choose eggplants with uniform skin color, no matter which variety you buy, and ensure the skin is firm when pressed. Look for a green cap and stem indicating freshness.
What to Avoid – eggplants that are too soft might be past their prime, bitter, and starting to spoil. A lighter-weight eggplant or one with a brown stem means it was picked longer ago and has started to dry out and become bitter.
Ingredients for Eggplant Parmesan
You need just a few pantry staples, in addition to the eggplant, to make a delicious Eggplant Parm.
Eggplant – the star of this dish, breaded and fried to become perfectly crispy, it serves as a delightful vegetarian alternative to a traditional Chicken Parmigiana dish. Flour – All-purpose flour is essential for the dry-wet-dry breading process. Add salt and pepper, then dredge the eggplant slices, ensuring they are thoroughly coated. Eggs – Act as a binding agent to help the flour and breadcrumbs adhere to the eggplant slices. Bread crumbs – Using seasoned Italian crumbs adds a crispy texture and flavorful coating for the eggplant. You can also make your own by pulsing leftover dried-out Sourdough Bread with Italian seasoning. Parmesan cheese – Mixed with the breadcrumbs to enhance flavor, create a crispy exterior, and add flavor. Olive oil – Used for frying the breaded eggplant slices, giving them a crispy, golden-brown exterior. Marinara sauce – I prefer to use homemade marinara sauce (make a double batch), but your favorite store-bought tomato sauce works well in a pinch. Mozzarella cheese – This melty cheese layer adds richness and binds the dish together. Basil – Fresh basil leaves are the perfect garnish, adding a fresh and aromatic touch.
How to Make Classic Eggplant Parmesan
Prepare the eggplant – Slice eggplant into 1/3” thick rounds. Season with 1 tsp salt and set aside to sweat for 30-60 minutes. You’ll see beads of liquid on the surface of the slices.
Why You Should Sweat Eggplant with Salt
Older eggplants can also taste more bitter and salting the eggplant helps draw out the bitter flavor. Eggplants also have a high water content, which can sometimes lead to a mushy texture when cooked. You should remove the excess water by salting it. The salt draws the water to the surface of the eggplant. After letting the eggplant sweat, make sure to thoroughly pat the eggplant slices dry with paper towels. This will help avoid splatter during cooking and prevent a soggy bread crumb coating.
Can I Bake Eggplant Instead of Frying?
While frying the eggplant is the traditional method of making this dish, you can try our Baked Eggplant Parmesan recipe for a lower-calorie alternative. Although it won’t be as crispy as the fried version, baking the eggplant is still delicious and will save you time by not having to stand over the stove.
What to serve with Eggplant Parmesan
While Eggplant Parm is hearty enough to stand alone as a main course, we love to serve it with pasta (spaghetti, fettuccine, or any pasta of your choice) tossed in marinara or simple garlic and olive oil. This dish pairs beautifully with classic Italian sides, particularly a light salad that helps balance its rich flavors.
Garlic Bread Tomato Cucumber Mozzarella Salad Caesar Salad Risotto Caprese Salad Pasta e Fagioli Soup
I hope you enjoy this irresistible Eggplant Parmesan recipe and savor every cheesy, crispy bite – it’s sure to become a family favorite!
To Refrigerate: Let cool completely and store in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Freezing: Fully assemble your recipe as instructed up to the baking step. Without baking, cover with foil and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before baking. You may have to add a few extra minutes of baking time if cooking straight from the refrigerator. Reheating: To reheat individual portions, you can use the microwave or for a crispier alternative, the air fryer. Place your leftover Eggplant Parmesan in a single layer in the air fryer basket, and heat at 400°F for 5 minutes. Flip them, and cook for another 4 minutes or until heated all the way through.
More Eggplant Recipes
If you’re a fan of eggplant, don’t miss out on these other delicious recipes featuring this versatile ingredient. Who knew there were so many fantastic ways to enjoy eggplant?
Spicy Eggplant (Ogoniok) Eggplant Spread Spicy Ratatouille Brunch Skillet Eggplant with Red Pepper Sauce Eggplant and Tomato Sandwich Israeli Shakshuka
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Good Things
A peek behind the scenes 👀. My cheese-pull recipes used to stress me out since there was a very small window to capture the epic gooey, stringy cheese pull that you see in the photos above (we call that the ‘money shot’ lol). Now that we have this heat gun, we’re able to re-melt that cheese on our own terms, and I have way less cheese panic in my life. Also, it’s always real cheese because we actually eat what we make. We don’t doctor our food with weird ingredients – it’s always the real deal!
