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Eggplant Parmesan

Eggplant Parmesan

Involved · 85 min · Serves 4 · Italian

Dietary: vegetarian, pescatarian, nut-free

Golden breaded eggplant slices layered with tomato passata and melting mozzarella and parmesan, then baked until bubbling and crisp at the edges.

Ingredients

For 4 servings

Breaded eggplant

  • 2 eggplant, cut into 1 cm (½ inch) rounds
  • 60 g flour, all-purpose
  • 2 egg
  • 120 g breadcrumb, dried
  • 10 g parmesan, finely grated
  • 4 tbsp olive oil

Layers

  • 500 ml passata
  • 150 g mozzarella, grated
  • 40 g parmesan, finely grated

Steps

Breaded eggplant

  1. Sprinkle both sides of the eggplant slices with salt, about 1 teaspoon in all, and layer them between paper towels on a tray. Leave for 30 to 60 minutes, then press down firmly on the towels to soak up the beads of water. Salting is what lets the slices fry crisp instead of soaking up oil.
  2. Set up three shallow bowls: the flour with a pinch of salt in one, the eggs beaten with 2 tablespoons of cold water in the next, and the breadcrumbs mixed with the parmesan in the last.
  3. Coat each slice in flour and shake off the excess, dip it in the egg and let the excess drip off, then press it into the breadcrumbs on both sides so they stick. Use one hand for the dry bowls and the other for the egg, and your fingers won't clump.
  4. Heat about 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet, about 30 cm (12 inch), over medium heat, until a crumb sizzles as soon as it touches the oil. Fry the slices in a single layer for about 3 minutes per side, until deep golden and crisp, then drain on paper towels.
  5. Fry the rest in batches the same way, adding more oil for each one.

Layers

  1. While the last batch fries, heat the oven to 220°C (425°F) with a rack in the middle. Spread about 125 ml (½ cup) of the passata over the bottom of a baking dish about 20 x 30 cm (8 x 12 inch).
  2. Lay in a third of the eggplant, overlapping the slices to fit, spoon over another 125 ml (½ cup) of passata, and scatter with a third of the mozzarella and some of the parmesan.
  3. Repeat twice more, finishing with the last of the passata, mozzarella and parmesan. Leave the edges of the top slices poking out of the sauce so they crisp in the oven.
  4. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until bubbling at the edges and golden on top.
  5. Rest for 10 minutes before slicing, so the layers set and hold together when you cut them. You can assemble it up to 2 days ahead, or freeze it, baked or unbaked, for up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the fridge before baking.

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