Baked Eggplant Parmesan

This Baked Eggplant Parmesan is a lighter twist on the classic Italian recipe. It's coated in panko breadcrumbs, then baked with layers of cheese & marinara

This Baked Eggplant Parmesan is Italian comfort food with the familiar marinara and cheese layers baked between slices of perfectly oven-roasted eggplant slices. It’s a lighter take on the classic recipe because instead of frying the eggplant, I bake the  eggplant. Serve it with a side salad and breaded chicken for a delicious meal!

The great thing about this recipe is that there’s no deep frying involved. Baking the eggplant at a high temperature with the panko breadcrumbs still gives you a fantastic crispy factor while keeping the eggplant tender on the inside. It’s low-fat twist on a favorite Italian comfort food that I know everyone will love!

HOW DO YOU MAKE BAKED EGGPLANT PARMESAN

PREPARE THE EGGPLANT

Prepare the eggplant by slicing it, placing it on a baking sheet and salting generously. Then place large paper towels between the layers to help remove the bitter liquid from the eggplant slices. This will take about 45 minutes and you will be surprised how much liquid gets extracted! You can do this step a day in advance.

Next, you’ll create the baked eggplant parmesan dredging station:

• All-purpose flour (or you can use a gluten-free flour of choice)
• Egg wash (3 eggs and a tablespoon of water)
• Panko bread crumbs mixture with parmesan cheese and olive oil (the olive oil is key here to creating a beautiful golden crust on the breadcrumbs)

And then you’re ready to dredge the eggplant slices. Start with the flour, then the egg wash and finally the breadcrumbs mixture. Repeat for all the eggplant slices and bake the eggplant in the oven. You should have about 18-20 slices, so you’ll most likely need two baking sheets.

MAKE THE MARINARA

This is the easier marinara you’ll ever make, but it’s one that I recently learned and now use all the time for a homemade marinara taste with minimal effort! You’ll need only three ingredients and you don’t even need olive oil.

• Sweet onions: You can large dice them or finely dice.
• Sliced garlic: Make sure they’re fresh and remove any green sprouts for best freshness.
• Crushed tomatoes: If you can find the San Marzano brand, they have the best flavor, but any crushed tomatoes will work here.

ASSEMBLE THE EGGPLANT PARMESAN

1. Start with marinara on the bottom of the baking dish and add half the baked eggplant on top.
2. Add half of the remaining marinara on top of the eggplant.
3. Sprinkle half the cheese on top.
4. Repeat with the remaining eggplant slices.
5. Follow it with the remaining marinara.
6. Top the dish with the remaining mozzarella cheese.

Cover with foil and bake the eggplant parmesan in the oven for the first 25 minutes. Then uncover for the remaining 20 minutes to allow the cheese to get lightly golden.

TIPS FOR MAKING EGGPLANT PARMESAN

1. Don’t peel the eggplant. Most eggplants you’ll find in the US have soft thin skin, which is not only edible but full of fiber and nutrition. It also helps to keep the eggplant slices in tact and adds great texture to the recipe.
2. Make sure to salt the eggplant to remove the bitter liquid from it. If you can also apply weight to the salted covered eggplant using a baking sheet, the pressure will also help draw out the liquid and help bring a creamy custardy texture to the eggplant.
3. Skip a step by using store-bought marinara. I make my homemade marinara sauce with no sugar and no salt, so I definitely prefer it if time allows. If you’re in a pinch, choose a low-sodium and low-sugar store-bought variety to keep this baked eggplant parmesan healthy.
4. Prepare a day in advance for convenience. You can assemble the eggplant parmesan in your dish, and then cover it and keep in the fridge for up to 24 hours until you are ready to bake it. This is ideal if you’re serving to guests.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Can you use regular breadcrumbs?

I highly recommend that you use panko breadcrumbs for this recipe. Not only do the panko breadcrumbs stay crisp after baking, but they are lower in calories, sodium and fat compared to regular breadcrumbs. The crispy texture of the baked breadcrumbs means that you can skip the unhealthy frying.

Can you freeze baked eggplant parmesan?

This eggplant parm freezes really well. If your casserole dish is freezer proof, you just need to wrap it with a few layers of foil, and you can bake it right from frozen. Any leftovers can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge. They will be good for about 3 or 4 days.

What do you serve with eggplant parmesan?

This dish can be served in a variety of ways, if you like you can serve it in a sandwich, that’s always a crowd pleaser! It’s great to serve alongside a salad, potato side dish or steamed vegetables. Try it with:
Pickle Chicken
Grilled Lemon Chicken
Quinoa Avocado Salad
Mediterranean Chopped Salad
Green Beans with Almonds

If you’ve tried this feel good Baked Eggplant Parmesan recipe or any other recipe on publifood, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below! I would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots of it, share it with me on Instagram so I can repost on my stories!