Baked Eggplant Parmesan (No-Fry) with Fresh Tomatoes
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My baked eggplant Parmesan with melty mozzarella and marinara sauce isn’t grandma’s traditional eggplant Parmigiana — it’s lightened-up, baked instead of fried, and topped off with cherry tomatoes, fresh basil and mozzarella cheese.
The old-school dish, with those layers of gooey mozzarella cheese, fried eggplant and hearty red marinara sauce is hunger-inducing, for sure. It’s also a shining example of Italian peasant cooking — make the most of what you’ve got, even if what you’ve got is just some vegetables, cheese and stale bread.
I remember watching my mom make it, and it seemed like quite the production. First, she prepared the eggplant by peeling, slicing, salting, draining and then breading it.
Next she set up her electric frying pan on the kitchen table and waited for the oil to get hot. She fried the eggplant in multiple batches, followed by a thorough paper-towel blotting. Finally, the fried slices were put into a baking dish, covered with the cheese and sauce before baking. It seemed like forever before we could dig in!
Plus, all that frying and cheese can feel pretty heavy. My lightened-up version will satisfy cravings for Italian comfort food, minus the fussy preparation. The crunchy baked eggplant is dipped in egg whites, coated in panko crumbs instead of breadcrumbs, and baked until golden and crispy.
Baked Eggplant Parmesan (No-Fry) with Fresh Tomatoes
Ingredients
- 2 small eggplant, 1 ¼ pounds
- 2 (60 ml) egg whites
- 2 teaspoons crumbled dried oregano
- 1½ teaspoons fine sea salt or 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cups (120 g) panko breadcrumbs
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 cups (475 ml) marinara sauce
- ¼ pound (50 g) fresh mozzarella, sliced into half-moons
- ½ cup (50 g) grated Parmesan cheese
Garnish
- 1 pint (300 g) cherry tomatoes, in mixed colors if available, halved or quartered
- 1 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
- Handful fresh basil leaves
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 (220 C) degrees. Have a large rimmed rectangular sheet pan and a large baking dish ready.
- Peel the eggplant, or partially peel, leaving stripes of skin here and there. Slice into ¼ inch-thick circles.
- Whisk the egg whites in a large bowl with the oregano, salt and pepper. Put the panko crumbs in another large bowl or shallow pan.
- In 2 or 3 batches, dip the eggplant slices in the egg white mixture so that they’re evenly coated, then add to the bowl with the crumbs, tossing around to make sure the crumbs adhere.
- Put the empty sheet pan in the oven for 7 minutes (it will start smoking). Remove from the oven (with oven mitts) and pour enough oil in the pan to a depth of 1/4-inch, about 1/2 cup of oil.
- Immediately arrange the eggplant on the hot pan. Bake for 7 minutes, then turn the pieces over and bake another 5 minutes or until they’re nicely golden on the other side.
- Reduce oven temperature to 375 (190 C) degrees. Put the marinara sauce in a large baking dish, then add the eggplant to the dish. Distribute both cheeses over the eggplant and bake 15 minutes.
- Toss the cherry tomatoes with 1 tablespoon extra olive oil, the vinegar and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Tear the basil leaves into strips and gently toss with the tomatoes. Spoon the tomatoes over the baked eggplant and serve.
Karen’s Notes and Tips
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- Choose small, firm eggplants if possible. I love the striated purple and white Graffitti variety — they’re meaty and sweet with little to no seeds.
- Put fresh mozzarella in the freezer for about 30 minutes before prepping to ensure nice, even slices.
- Egg whites help the seasoning and crumbs adhere, eliminating a heavier, flour-and-egg batter.
- Preheat the sheet pan. It will keep the eggplant from absorbing too much oil and helps brown and crisp the coating.
Nutrition
Nutrition facts are calculated by third-party software. If you have specific dietary needs, please refer to your favorite calculator.
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.
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Hi Karen!I just happened upon your site and I love your content. Very inspiring! I have a question about baking the eggplant. Do you think instead of pouring the olive oil into the preheated baking dish, I could spritz the slices with an olive oil mister or cooking spray and then place them on the preheated pan?
Kiki – Thanks for your question! Yes, you can try that method, although keep in mind the coating may not turn out as crisp and brown. I recommend using an olive oil mister rather than cooking spray, and giving each slice a generous coating. Arrange them on a sheet pan lined with foil or parchment so they don’t stick. Let us know how it turns out!