Baked Eggplant Parmesan Mac and Cheese
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Two totally delicious comfort foods in one dish: Crusty baked eggplant Parmesan with pasta in a creamy, cheesy sauce, all topped with marinara. Buon Appetito!
Eggplants are to Sicilians what potatoes are to the Irish. – Fabrizia Lanza
When we’re thinking about comfort food, all things carb-y and cheese-y are often the first things we crave.
Personally, eggplant Parmesan and macaroni and cheese — or, basically any kind of pasta with cheese on it — are two dishes right at the top of the list. Here’s a recipe that combines the two, an all-in-one meal to serve out of a bowl while on a comfy couch.
Origins of classic eggplant parmesan
No matter the origins of any person’s family tree, we can all relate to satisfying our hungers with recipes that are grounded in peasant cooking.
It’s hard to know for sure if long-ago Italian grandmothers prepared something similar to our modern-day eggplant Parmesan.
But it’s safe to say that Southern Italians, specifically Neapolitans and Sicilians, have definitely been eating eggplant Parmesan for hundreds of years.
The basic, traditional method for making eggplant parmesan goes like this:
- Slice eggplant, then dip into an egg batter and coat with flour or breadcrumbs.
- Fry eggplant in oil.
- Layer in a casserole or baking dish with tomato sauce, Parmesan and mozzarella cheese.
All good, but it was that frying step I wanted to skip. So I’ve come up with no-fry eggplant parmesan that delivers a delectable crunchy crust without the mess (and extra oil) that comes with deep-drying.
It’s baked eggplant parm mac and cheese!
Not exactly old school, but somehow this dish brings the old world and 21st century tastes comfortably together.
Tips for serving
- This is a hearty dish that will easily feed a hungry table of 4, with leftovers.
- Keep this in mind for a weekend dish, since it does involve multiple pots, pans and baking sheets.
- Save time by using prepared marinara sauce and making the white cheese sauce up to 2 days ahead (keep refrigerated). Then, you can bake the eggplant and boil the pasta just before assembling and baking.
Baked Eggplant Parmesan Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- ¾ pound (350 g) eggplant, about 1 medium or 2 small, peeled
- 1 egg
- Kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2½ cups (270 g) panko breadcrumbs or coarse dry breadcrumbs
- Olive oil
Cheese sauce
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 2 cups (475 ml) whole milk
- ½ cup (50 g) grated Parmesan cheese
- 12 ounces (340 g) dried pasta shells orecchiette or similar shape
- 1 cup (240 ml) prepared marinara sauce
- ¾ cup (85 g) shredded whole milk mozzarella cheese, about 1/2 pound
- ¼ cup (15 g) chopped Italian parsley
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 (230 C) degrees. Bring a large (4-6 quarts) pot of water to a boil and add 3 tablespoons salt.
- Slice eggplant in half lengthwise, then slice each in half again. Slice crosswise into ½-inch thick pieces.
- Whisk together egg, 1 teaspoon salt, pepper, garlic and oregano in a large bowl. Add eggplant and toss to coat. Dredge eggplant in the panko crumbs on a cookie sheet.
- Place a large rimmed baking sheet on the oven rack and heat for 10 minutes — it may warp a bit, but don't worry.
- Carefully pour enough olive oil over the bottom of the preheated baking sheet to cover to a depth of ¼-inch. Lay eggplant on the pan and roast 12 minutes. Flip eggplant slices over with a spatula, and roast an additional 10 minutes or until eggplant is tender and crust is golden.
Make the sauce
- Meanwhile, heat a medium saucepan over moderate heat. Add butter and heat until foaming subsides and butter is melted. Whisk in flour; cook 1 minute. Slowly pour in milk while whisking. Bring to a simmer, then lower heat and cook 5–10 minutes, whisking occasionally, until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in ¼ cup of the Parmesan, ½ teaspoon salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Cook pasta according to package directions, until al dente. Drain.
- Lower oven temperature to 400 (200 C) degrees. Combine the pasta with the cheese sauce and transfer to a large casserole or baking dish. Top with the eggplant (and any crisp crumbs in the pan), marinara, remaining Parmesan and mozzarella cheese. Bake 12-15 minutes, until hot and cheese is melted. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.
Karen’s Notes and Tips
- This is a hearty dish that will easily feed a hungry table of 4, with leftovers.
- Keep this in mind for a weekend dish, since it does involve multiple pots, pans and baking sheets.
- Save time by using prepared marinara sauce and making the white cheese sauce up to 2 days ahead (keep refrigerated).
- To freeze: Mix the cooked pasta and cheese sauce in a large, freezer-friendly baking dish. Top with the eggplant, marinara sauce, remaining Parmesan and mozzarella cheese. Cool completely, cover securely and freeze up to 1 month. Bake directly from the freezer at 375F until hot, about 25-30 minutes.
Nutrition
Hey, I’m Karen
Creator of Familystyle Food
I’m a food obsessed super-taster and professionally trained cook ALL about creating elevated dinners with everyday ingredients. Find simplified recipes made from scratch and enjoy incredibly tasty food! Read more about me here.
Can this be frozen for a post partum meal? If so do you have any recommendations on how to freeze or reheat? Thanks so much!
Yes, for sure! I just updated the recipe notes section with freezing directions.
Thank you so much for the update!!! Going to prep this for post partum this week. We had it for dinner last night and it was AMAZING!
So happy to hear that! Congratulations :))
Hm, I don’t see any reason not to simplify the recipe by cutting up the eggplant and roasting it in a casserole dish or big cast iron pan without dredging, then once the macaroni and bechamel cheese sauce are ready, top it with shredded mozzarella, the mac, the cheese sauce, and then more cheese and breadcrumbs over the top.
Would save a bunch of steps or at least make them coalesce more easily.
Typically eggplant Parmesan has a breadcrumb coating, which has a nice textural crunch. If you won’t miss that, go ahead and skip that step. That said, I would consider roasting the eggplant in a dish or pan large enough to hold it one layer, or it will become mushy.
Oh god, it looks so so so delicious! I really want to cook it! Wish me luck, I will do it tomorrow. 🙂
Karen- every time I click over to your site I am blown away by how gorgeous your photos are! You are so talented!
Aw, Kate, thank you for saying that!
I definitely love the idea of double comfort food with mac and cheese And eggplant parm all at once! Adding veg sounds like it would make the mac & cheese much easier to eat in huge amazing servings too. 🙂
Eileen – yes, absolutely double the comfort. Can’t be bad, right?!