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Similar to chicken Parmesan, eggplant Parmesan is a classic Italian-American casserole composed of fried, crispy eggplant that’s layered with a rich marinara sauce and cheese and baked until hot and bubbling. Just like its sister recipe, eggplant Parm admittedly isn’t the simplest of weeknight dinners. It requires a fair amount of time and patience, but the result is truly worth every bit of effort (if you’re looking for a similar result with a little less effort, check out our eggplant rollatini or our skillet eggplant Parm for an easier take on this classic dish). Ready to wow at date night or your upcoming dinner party? Here’s all of our top tips on making this comfort food classic.
Time to get the sauce going. You can have it hang out and kept warm while you assemble the eggplant, or make it ahead and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. In a large pot, soften the onion, then add some garlic and tomato paste. Pour in crushed tomatoes (then fill the can with water to get any residual tomatoes), plus fresh basil and dried oregano, and cook until everything gets to know each other and the sauce is slightly thickened, about 20 minutes. That's it! Sauce is ready!
After seasoning the eggplant, squish it between paper towels to draw out the moisture. Weight it down with a heavy skillet for extra insurance. This should take about 25 minutes.
Time to dredge your perfectly dried out eggplant slices. First, dip eggplant into seasoned flour.
Then into whisked eggs and milk (or water if you don't have any milk or don't want to use it).
Finally into a mixture of panko, oregano, and 1 1/2 cups Parmesan. Be sure to pat on the panko mixture so it adheres.
Time to shallow fry! Pour oil into a large, heavy skillet until you get to a depth of about 1/4". Working in batches, cook the eggplant until deeply golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes for each side. Transfer to a wire rack to drain, then blot dry with some paper towels.
Time to assemble! First, in a 13" x 9" baking dish, be sure to spread a generous layer of sauce; this will keep everything from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Layer the eggplant pieces on top in a single layer.
Keep on layering the eggplant pieces, alternating with mozzarella, Parmesan, and sauce.
Bake in the oven until the cheese is melted and the eggplant is very tender, about 40 minutes. Let it cool slightly to set, top with fresh parsley, and serve.
The full list of ingredients and directions can be found in the recipe below.
Although this isn’t a pasta dinner, any of our favorite side dishes for pasta would work beautifully with this dish. Make our sheet-pan panzanella if you’re serving a crowd, roasted asparagus if you’re craving veggies, or our homemade garlic knots if you want to sop up all of the delicious marinara sauce.
If you have any leftovers, store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days, or freeze up to 1 month. Looking to make this dish ahead of time? Assemble the dish, then cover with plastic wrap and foil before storing in the freezer up to 1 month. When ready to eat, simply thaw and bake.
extra-virgin olive oil
yellow onion, finely chopped
garlic cloves, finely chopped
tomato paste
(28-oz.) cans crushed tomatoes
torn fresh basil leaves
dried oregano
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
medium eggplants, sliced into coins
kosher salt, plus more
(240 g.) all-purpose flour
large eggs, beaten to blend
milk or water
panko
dried oregano
finely grated Parmesan (from about 7 oz.), divided
shredded mozzarella
Vegetable oil, for frying
Chopped fresh parsley, for serving
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