Baked Eggplant Parmesan Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 lbs eggplant (2 large/3 medium/4 small, cut into 1/3" thick rounds)
• 3 large eggs
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp fine sea salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 cup panko breadcrumbs (or Italian breadcrumbs)
• 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1 Tbsp olive oil (plus more to grease the pan and drizzle over eggplant*)
• 2 garlic cloves (pressed or minced)
• 32 oz good quality marinara sauce (homemade or storebought)
• 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves (coarsely chopped, (optional, but nice))
• 1 lb shredded mozzarella (grated on the large holes)

Steps

1. 1

   Preheat Oven to 375˚F. Generously grease 2 baking sheets with olive oil. Set up 3 rimmed dishes in this order: In the first one, stir together 3/4 cup flour, 2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper. In the second, beat 3 large eggs. In the third combine 1 cup bread crumbs and 1 cup grated parmesan. Dip eggplant slices in flour, then beaten eggs, then in the panko/parm mixture.

2. 2

   Place breaded eggplant onto greased baking sheets and sprinkle the tops lightly with salt. Drizzle tops with olive oil or spray lightly with cooking spray. Bake at 375˚F for 30-35 min, flipping the eggplant halfway and rotating the pans if using 2 baking sheets. Once done baking, remove from the oven.

3. 3

   If using homemade Marinara, you can skip this step, but here's how to make a storebought marinara even better: Place a medium saucepan over medium heat and add 1 Tbsp olive oil. Once oil is hot, add garlic and stir 1 min until fragrant. Add marinara sauce and bring to a simmer. Add coarsely chopped basil, stir for 30 seconds and remove from heat.

4. 4

   Spread 1/4 cup marinara sauce over the bottom of a 9x13 casserole dish. Add 1/2 eggplant slices, overlapping if needed to fit, then top with half of your marinara sauce and half of the mozzarella. Repeat with the remaining eggplant slices, marinara and mozzarella. Bake uncovered at 375 for 20-25 minutes or until cheese is melted and slightly golden.