Eggplant Parmigiana (Eggplant Parmesan)

Eggplant Parmigiana (Eggplant Parmesan)

Eggplant Parmigiana is one of those classic comfort Italian dishes, made with baked Eggplant, cheese and Marinara sauce.

The fried eggplant dish is a great vegetarian substitute for your hearty meat dishes and in fact, is the main dish. Serve along with side dishes like grilled veggies, garlic bread, or meatballs! I personally love it alongside risotto!

I am sharing the easiest version as well as including the method for making it fluffier if you like the extra steps involved. I use store-bought Marinara sauce so it’s easy peasy to make. The only downside is waiting for 30-40 minutes for the bitter liquids to drip out of the salted eggplant.

Scroll down for the Complete Recipe.

Eggplant Parmigiana (Eggplant Parmesan)

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Watch the Video or click to read Complete Recipe – Below. 

How to make Eggplant Parmigiana (Eggplant Parmesan)Recipe at a glance:

• Slice eggplant and leave salted to remove the bitter liquid. 20- 40 minutes waiting
• Fry the eggplant slices either plain or dipped in egg wash, flour coating, or additional bread coating.
• Layer the fried slices with Marinara sauce, seasoning, and cheese.
• Bake till the cheese melts and the dish is heated through.

To peel or not to peel the Eggplant for Parmigiana.

Although it is fine to leave the skin on, and some people actually like it(and has more nutrients), the skin often looks and feels like strips of tape through your food and sometimes can be quite bitter. It is also chewy! So a better option is to peel equally spaced strips off lengthwise, leaving basically half the skin on. Then when you slice the eggplant the other way, the edge has a pretty pattern, and the skin isn’t chewy because it is in small pieces instead of one long strip around the slice.

What is Marinara sauce?

Marinara sauce is a simple tomato sauce usually made with tomatoes, garlic, herbs, and onions. You can use your favorite similar pasta sauce or make your own.

Salting the Eggplant.

Salt the eggplant for at least 20 minutes, up to 40 minutes before frying — this will cut down on bitterness and will help make the eggplant more crispy when you bake it (since salting the eggplant removes a lot of the water content).

Choosing Eggplant?

Choose an eggplant that has shiny and smooth skin. It should be a bright, vibrant black/purple color. If the eggplant has wrinkled or dull skin, it’s probably too old. It will not taste good. Pick an eggplant that’s slightly firm to the touch – not one that feels mushy. Seedless eggplant is available during the season, this is ideal, but you can still make it with eggplant that has seeds.

Cheeses for Eggplant Parmigiana.

Of course, you need Parmesan, it’s what gives the baked top cheese layer a lovely color. But you also need Mozzarella cheese (much more than the parmesan) and adding a little bit of pecorino with the parmesan gives better flavor still.

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Ingredients:

• 4-5 medium-sized firm eggplant
• 1 1/4 cup Marinara sauce (or simple, tomato -onion-garlic and herb pasta sauce)
• 2 cups Mozzarella, grated
• 1/3 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano (look for the stamp for original parmesan), grated
• 1/4 cup Pecorino cheese, grated (if available, else omit)
• Olive oil for shallow frying
• 2-3 cloves garlic
• Garlic Salt and Black Pepper to season
• Fresh Parsley and Basil for Garnish

Optional coating for the Eggplant:

• 2 eggs, beaten with a little pecorino and parsley
• 1 shallow bowl with plain all-purpose flour
• 1 shallow bowl with breadcrumbs (optional again)

This Video is also avialble on the Recipe page⇑.

On laptop, It is recommended that you open the recipe page and keep this page going if you like to WATCH / LISTEN to the video alongside the written instructions.

Key Ingredients: Eggplant(Aubergine/Brinjal), Marinara Sauce, Garlic, Olive oil, Garlic Salt, Pepper, Cheese, Basil, and Parsely.

EAT AND TELL!!! Let us know if you tried –  Eggplant Parmigiana (Eggplant Parmesan)