No-Fry Baked Eggplant Parmesan with Fresh Tomato Salad
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Fresh, healthy eggplant parm — baked (not fried) and topped with a fresh tomato-basil salad and mozzarella cheese. Delicious!
This is baked eggplant parm with melty mozzarella, not your grandma’s eggplant Parmigiana.
The old-school dish, with those layers of gooey mozzarella cheese, fried eggplant and hearty red 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 eggplant is coated with egg whites and panko crumbs instead of heavy bread crumbs, and baked on a hot baking sheet.
This is a great low-carb option for a vegetarian main course, loaded with flavor and easy to make.
Tips for making crisp baked eggplant parmesan:
- Choose small, firm eggplants. I love the striated purple and white Graffitti variety – they’re meaty and sweet with little to no seeds.
- Put your fresh mozzarella in the freezer for about 30 minutes 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.
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No-Fry Baked Eggplant Parmesan with Fresh Tomato Salad
Ingredients
- 2 small eggplant such as Graffiti variety, 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) prepared fresh tomato sauce or marinara
- ¼ pound (50 g) fresh mozzarella, sliced into half-moons
- ½ cup (50 g) fresh parmesan cheese
- 1 pint (300 g) cherry tomatoes, in mixed colors if available
- 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 tomato sauce in a large baking dish, then add the eggplant to the dish. Distribute both cheeses over the eggplant and bake 15 minutes.
- Quarter the cherry tomatoes and toss 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.
- Serve the eggplant with some of the tomatoes spooned over the top.
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.