Go Back
–+ servings
A piece of eggplant parmesan on a plate with asparagus and a roll - square
Print

Baked Eggplant Parmesan

This baked eggplant parmesan recipe is a lightened-up version of the classic eggplant parmesan for a comforting dish you can feel good about. Perfectly cooked eggplant, flavorful tomato sauce, and extra gooey cheese come together for an instant hit! 
Course Main
Cuisine Italian
Keyword baked eggplant parmesan, eggplant, eggplant dishes, eggplant parmesan
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings 9 pieces
Calories 198kcal
Author Elaine Benoit

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 1 large eggplant (sliced in thin pieces)

The coating

  • 2 eggs
  • .50 cup Italian breadcrumbs
  • .50 cup Panko breadcrumbs
  • 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3 cups spaghetti sauce (homemade or bottled)

To Layer

  • 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese (or more), shredded
  • 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
  • 6 slices mozzarella (round)
  • olive oil for drizzling
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried parsley (to sprinkle on the last layer)

Instructions

  • Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees and line jelly roll pans with parchment paper.
  • Mix in a shallow bowl, breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, basil, oregano, garlic powder and salt.
    .50 cup Italian breadcrumbs, .50 cup Panko breadcrumbs, 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, 1 teaspoon dried basil, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • Whisk 2 eggs in another shallow bowl.
    2 eggs
  • Dip eggplant first in eggs then in breadcrumb mixture, coating both sides and place on jelly roll pans.
    1 large eggplant
  • Drizzle a small amount of oil on each round and bake for 20 minutes.
    olive oil for drizzling
  • Flip rounds and drizzle more oil and cook for additional 10 minutes.
  • Take out of the oven and lower temperature to 350 degrees.
  • Cover the bottom of a baking pan, (9 x 9) or larger, with sauce and place eggplant on the sauce layer without overlapping the rounds.
    3 cups spaghetti sauce
  • Cover eggplant with sauce, mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese.
    1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
  • Continue layering for 2 more layers, add slices of mozzarella on top and sprinkle some dried parsley over all.
    1/4 teaspoon dried parsley, 6 slices mozzarella
  • Bake for 35 - 40 minutes uncovered (38 minutes in my oven).
  • Serve
  • Eat
  • Enjoy

Notes

Tips on making this comfort dish:
  • I have written before about my experiments to salt and not salt eggplant during prep and I'm here to tell you that to save time AND have your eggplant come out just as scrumptious, don't salt it. There, I've saved you a bunch of time.
  • Use bottled spaghetti or marinara sauce to layer this eggplant parmesan if it's more convenient, but the flavor of homemade usually tastes much better.
  • I use both shredded mozzarella and a ball of fresh mozzarella that I can slice in this dish. If you have to skip one of them, skip the round version, but try to get the freshest mozzarella you can buy.
  • A reader asked if the eggplant can be frozen before building the layers and the answer is yes. I place them in a single layer with parchment paper between each layer. When you're ready to build the eggplant parm, you can take the eggplant out of the freezer and make the recipe according to the directions. You may have to add 5 - 10 minutes to the cooking time, but 5 minutes is usually enough for me.
  • IF you have any leftovers, store them in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Nutrition

Serving: 1square | Calories: 198kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 57mg | Sodium: 936mg | Potassium: 445mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 620IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 240mg | Iron: 1.9mg