Description
Eggplant Parmesan is a delightful dish bursting with flavor. With its crispy layers of eggplant, savory tomato sauce, and gooey mozzarella, this comforting meal is perfect for quick dinners and impressing guests. Easy to prepare, it showcases fresh ingredients and simple cooking techniques.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 eggplants, thinly sliced length-wise
- salt
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- black pepper
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour (or gluten-free flour)
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cups tomato sauce, no salt added
- 2 oz parmesan cheese, grated (more if needed)
- large bunch of fresh basil leaves, reserve a few for garnish
- 8 oz fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced (more if needed)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F.
- Salt the eggplant and lay slices on a large baking sheet lined with paper towels. Sprinkle with salt and set aside for 30 minutes. Pat dry afterward.
- Prepare a dredging station with two shallow bowls: one for the beaten eggs and another for the flour.
- Coat each eggplant slice in flour, shake off excess, then dip into the egg and let excess drip back. Place on a tray.
- Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Cook eggplant slices for 3 to 5 minutes on each side until golden. Drain on paper towels.
- Spread a bit of tomato sauce at the bottom of a casserole dish. Layer in fried eggplant, followed by Parmesan, basil, and mozzarella. Repeat layers until ingredients are used, finishing with sauce and mozzarella on top.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until sauce bubbles and cheese melts.
- Let the dish rest for 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh basil and enjoy!
Notes
Optional: Salting the eggplant helps extract moisture and reduce bitterness.
Adjust cheese quantities to your taste preference.
For a gluten-free option, use gluten-free flour for dredging.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 400mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 28g
- Fiber: 6g
- Protein: 15g
- Cholesterol: 95mg