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Easy Baked Eggplant Parmesan
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Easy Baked Eggplant Parmesan

This Easy Baked Eggplant Parmesan is a lighter version of the classic dish- using baked breaded eggplant rather than fried, without skimping on flavor!
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 30 minutes
Eggplant rest time30 minutes
Total Time2 hours
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: eggplant, eggplant parmesan, parmesan cheese
Servings: 6

Equipment

  • Oven-safe rack
  • Baking sheet
  • aluminum foil
  • 9x12 Baking dish (glass, ceramic or metal are all fine)

Ingredients

  • 1 medium eggplant, sliced into even slices
  • salt
  • Cooking spray

Sauce:

  • 2 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped*
  • 5 cloves garlic, minced
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
  • 1 cup red blend wine*’
  • 1 tablespoon dried basil
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano 
  • 1 teaspoon sugar 

Breading/Dredging:

  • 1 cup grated Parmesan-Romano cheese blend*
  • 2 cups Panko breadcrumbs
  • ⅓ cup olive oil 
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder 
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano 
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper 
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • ½ cup milk

Topping:

  • 14 oz fresh sliced fresh mozzarella 
  • ½ cup grated Parmesan-Romano cheese blend*
  • Remaining breadcrumb mixture 

Instructions

  • Prepare the eggplant: Slice eggplant into even, ¼” thick slices, set on a paper towel-lined baking sheet, salt liberally and let sit for 30 minutes to draw out the liquid in the eggplant.
    2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
    3. Start the sauce: Heat 2 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-low heat.
    4. Add onions and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Continue to cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes, until onions begin to soften.
    5. Add the crushed tomatoes, wine, basil, oregano and sugar and stir to Combine, Turn heat to low and cover. Cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until sauce is slightly reduced. Once sauce has cooked 20 minutes, turn off heat and set aside.
    6. Combine the breading ingredients: To a medium bowl, add grated cheese, Panko breadcrumbs, olive oil, and spices. Stir with fork to combine/moisten breadcrumb mixture.
    7. Spray an oven-safe baking rack set over foil-lined baking sheet liberally with cooking spray, and set near your work station before beginning breading the eggplant.
    8. Bread the eggplant: After eggplant has sat for 30 minutes, blot with paper towels to remove an excess moisture. To bread the eggplant- Set up a station with a bowl/lipped plate for the flour, whisk egg and milk together to combine in a medium bowl, have a bowl/plate ready with the breadcrumb mixture. Coat each slice of eggplant on both sides with flour, then coat in egg/milk, then in breadcrumb mixture. Arrange slices of breaded eggplant on the oven-safe rack as you go.
    9. Once all eggplant is breaded, Transfer to the oven and bake for 30 mins at 350 degrees. Resave any remaining breadcrumb mixture for topping the eggplant later.
    10. While eggplant bakes, finish sauce, and prepare a 9x12 baking dish for the Eggplant Parmesan by spraying all sides with cooking spray.
    11. Layer and bake: Once eggplant sliced have finished baking, layer enough sauce into the greased baking dish to cover the bottom well, then place in an even layer of the baked eggplant. Top this layer with ½ of the mozzarella, and ½ of the Parmesan-Romano blend. Top this layer with enough sauce to fully cover and layer the remaining eggplant on top, followed by the remains cheese, and the reserved breadcrumb mixture. If there is any remains sauce, you could layer if around the outer edges of the dish, or reserve for another use. Lightly cover the dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes at 350. After 30 minutes, remove the foil and bake an additional 30 minutes, or until eggplant is easily pierced with a fork and top is browned and bubbly. Allow to cool for at least 20 minutes before serving.