Easy Eggplant Parmesan Recipe

4.80 from 10 votes

Easy Eggplant Parmesan Recipe

Easy and delicious crispy eggplant parmesan layered with mozzarella and parmesan cheese and baked in a cast-iron skillet.

Prep Time1

Cook Time30

Total Time1 30

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Italian

Servings:

Author: Shawn Williams

Ingredients

1 pound spaghetti or linguine optional
1 large eggplant sliced into 1/4 inch thick slices (or 2 medium eggplants)
24 ounces marinara or tomato sauce
1 1/2 cups unseasoned breadcrumbs
1 cup coarsely grated/shredded parmesan cheese 1/2 cup for breading, plus 1/2 cup for topping
8 ounce bag of shredded mozzarella cheese
2 large eggs
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon water
1 tablespoon fresh parsley minced (plus more for garnish)
1 tablespoon fresh basil minced (plus more for garnish)
Salt to taste

Instructions

Cut the eggplant into roughly 1/4 inch thick round slices and arrange over sheets of paper towel. You want the paper towel on each side of the eggplant.
Sprinkle each side with a little salt to draw out the liquid. Let rest for 45-60 minutes. Press down with the paper towel at the end to soak up any remaining surface moisture. Paper towels will become noticeably saturated/transparent. This step is critical—do not skip it!
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Combine breadcrumbs, 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese, and fresh herbs, on a plate and set aside. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs and water and set aside. On another plate, spread the flour.
Coat the eggplant with the flour and shake off the excess. Dip in the egg (let excess drip), and then fully coat with the breadcrumb mixture, patting with your fingers to ensure the breadcrumbs adhere. Repeat with all slices and set aside until ready to fry.
Heat the olive oil in a 12-inch cast iron skillet over medium heat. You want enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan by 1/4+ inch. Add the eggplant in batches and sauté until golden brown and crispy (about 30-45 seconds per side). Remove the eggplant and place it on a baking sheet to rest until the next step. The eggplant may brown faster as the oil continues to heat. You may need to add more oil halfway as it's absorbed.
Turn off the heat and let the skillet cool for about 5 minutes. Use a paper towel to give the skillet a quick wipe, soaking up any excess oil and burnt chunks from the eggplant.
Layer the bottom of the skillet with 1 cup of tomato sauce. Add a layer of eggplant, filling as much of the bottom of the pan as possible with no overlap. Top with a 1/2 cup of marinara, then 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, and 1 cup mozzarella cheese. You can cut the eggplant in half around the perimeter so it fits more snugly if you prefer.
Repeat by creating the second layer starting with eggplant, 1/2 cup of tomato sauce, 1/4 cup of parmesan, and finish with 1 cup of mozzarella cheese.
Place in the oven and bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes or until cheese starts to bubble and slightly brown on the top. You can finish with a quick broil at the very end for a little charred cheese if you prefer, just note it will brown FAST. Let cool for 5 minutes, garnish with fresh basil and parsley if desired, and serve with pasta if desired.

Notes

Draining excess water from eggplant is the most critical step when making eggplant parmesan. It’s the difference between crispy and melt-in-your-mouth eggplant versus spongy and tasting like you’re eating a vegetable. This is done by sprinkling the sliced eggplant with salt to extract the water.

Eggplant should be thinly sliced and layered. Shoot for about 1/4 inch thick slices. A little thicker is OK. The result will be 2 layers of thinly sliced eggplant layered with tomato sauce and cheese, rather than one thick single layer of eggplant.

Always mix parmesan cheese in with the breadcrumbs. Layer with extra parmesan cheese and plenty of fresh mozzarella cheese before baking. You want a solid layer of melted cheese to nearly cover each piece of crispy eggplant.

Always sauté/crisp the eggplant in olive oil. No substitutes here. Olive oil will add tremendous flavor to the eggplant and will help give your eggplant that much-desired texture.

Use a nice tomato sauce. There are plenty of good ones out there (I love Rao’s marinara) or you can easily make a homemade sauce using Marcella Hazan's tomato sauce. TRUST ME!

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