My Italian Mom Makes Eggplant Parmigiana! Eggplant Parmesan

mozzarella cheese

🥗Healthier: part-skim mozzarella

💰Cheaper: ricotta cheese

Part-skim mozzarella reduces fat while maintaining a similar texture.

parmesan cheese

🥗Healthier: nutritional yeast

💰Cheaper: grana padano

Nutritional yeast offers a cheesy flavor with fewer calories.

olive oil

🥗Healthier: avocado oil

💰Cheaper: vegetable oil

Avocado oil is healthier, while vegetable oil is more economical.

egg

🥗Healthier: flaxseed meal

💰Cheaper: aquafaba

Flaxseed meal is a plant-based alternative for binding.

Chop off the bottom of each eggplant and cut them into thin slices, about 1 centimeter thick.

Lay the eggplant slices on a clean kitchen towel and sprinkle them generously with salt.

Let the eggplant sweat for about 5 minutes until moisture beads appear on top.

In a bowl, combine 500 grams of flour with 20 grams of salt and 2 grams of pepper; stir well.

Dredge the sweat eggplant slices in the flour mixture and place them on a cookie sheet or platter without overlapping.

In a large saute pan, add enough vegetable oil to be about 1 inch deep and heat it on high.

To check if the oil is hot enough, drop a few flecks of flour into the oil; if it sizzles, it's ready.

Carefully place the dredged eggplant slices into the hot oil, away from you to avoid splashes.

Fry the eggplant slices until they are golden brown, about a few minutes on each side, then transfer them to a pan lined with kitchen roll to absorb excess oil.

For a healthier version, bake the eggplant slices at 425°F (220°C) until crispy and brown.

Spread a thin layer of tomato sauce in the bottom of a casserole dish.

Layer the fried eggplant slices in the dish, overlapping them if necessary, and gently push them down to even them out.

Add a layer of tomato sauce over the eggplant, slightly more than the bottom layer.

Sprinkle about 500 grams of low moisture mozzarella and 200 grams of freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano over the sauce.

Continue layering eggplant, sauce, and cheese until you reach the top of the pan, finishing with a cheese layer on top.

Cover the dish with foil and bake in a preheated oven at 350°F (180°C) for 45 minutes.

Remove the foil in the last 10 minutes of baking to allow the cheese to become golden brown.

After baking, let the dish sit for 10 to 15 minutes to cool before slicing.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Allergens