The two things to keep in mind when cooking eggplant, especially firm globe eggplants, is that not only do eggplants hold onto moisture, they also absorb oil like a sponge. So if you’re not careful you can end up with something mushy and oily.
For Easy Eggplant Parmesan, Salt and Bake Your Eggplant
To deal with the oil absorption issue, instead of frying the breaded eggplant slices, we bake them in the oven, before assembling the casserole to be baked again. In this recipe, to tackle the first challenge we lightly salt the raw eggplant slices and let them sit out for a while. The salt helps draw moisture out of the eggplant. The result? Wonderful! Cheesy, tomato-y Eggplant Parmesan that doesn’t weigh you down with too much water or oil. Note: I’ve recently updated the recipe to include more sauce (May 12, 2021). The original recipe calls for only one 28-ounce can of tomatoes; I’ve since doubled the sauce recipe to include two 28-ounce cans of tomatoes.
Add up to 3 additional minced garlic cloves.Add 1 teaspoon of dried oregano or 2 teaspoons of chopped fresh oregano.Add 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes or more to taste.
Make-Ahead Tips for Eggplant Parmesan
There are two ways to make this ahead.
Bake the casserole the day before, cool it, then cover and refrigerate. To serve, bake it again at 350°F until hot in the center and bubbling at the edges. You can also freeze the baked casserole up to 3 months, defrost in the refrigerator, and then bake for serving.Assemble the casserole the day before serving as described in Steps 1 through 7 (skip preheating the oven), but don’t bake it. Cover and refrigerate. An hour before baking, take it out of the refrigerator, preheat the oven, and bake as directed in Step 8.
Storing the Leftovers
Like many good casseroles, eggplant Parmesan makes great leftovers. It will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat individual portions in a microwave, air fryer, or toaster oven.
Try These Eggplant Recipes!
Baba Ganoush (Eggplant Dip) Moussaka Dad’s Ratatouille Gluten-Free Eggplant Parmesan Eggplant Green Curry
Inspired by a recipe in the New York Times by chef Gabrielle Hamilton, recounting a recipe from her Italian ex-mother-in-law. Sprinkle both sides of the eggplant rounds lightly with salt. Let the eggplant rounds sit and release moisture for at least 1 hour and up to 2 hours. Add the tomatoes and their juices, breaking up the tomatoes as you add them to the pot. Increase the heat to bring to a simmer, then lower the heat to maintain a very low simmer for 15 minutes, uncovered. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add the minced basil and remove from heat. Set up your station so that you have flour in one shallow bowl, beaten eggs in another bowl, and the breadcrumb cheese mixture in another, in that order. The eggplant rounds should be wet from releasing moisture after salting them. Pat the eggplant slices dry with paper towels. Working one at a time, dredge the eggplant slices first in the flour, then dip in the beaten eggs, and then dredge in the breadcrumb Parmesan cheese mixture. Add more breadcrumbs, if needed. Place on the oiled sheet pans in a single layer. Drizzle a little oil over the top of each breaded eggplant round. Layer half of the sliced mozzarella on top of the eggplant rounds. Sprinkle with 1/3 cup of the Parmesan cheese. Place another third of the eggplant rounds over the cheese. Spread 1 cup of the sauce over the eggplant rounds. Layer the rest of the sliced mozzarella over the sauce. Sprinkle with 1/3 cup of shredded Parm. Add the remaining eggplant in a single layer on top of the cheese. Top with the remaining sauce and the remaining Parmesan.
