Best Ever Eggplant Parm Recipes

EGGPLANT PARMESAN I

Steps:

• Sprinkle both sides of the eggplant slices with salt. Place slices in a colander, and place a dish underneath the colander to capture liquid that will sweat out of the eggplant. Allow to sit for 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a medium bowl, mix the ricotta, mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Mix in egg and basil.
• Rinse the eggplant in cold water until all salt is removed. In a large skillet, heat 4 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Place one layer of eggplant in the pan, brown each side. Repeat with remaining eggplant slices, using additional oil if necessary.
• In a 9x13 inch baking dish, evenly spread 1 1/2 cups of spaghetti sauce. Arrange a single layer of eggplant slices on top of the sauce. Top the eggplant with 1/2 of the cheese mixture. Repeat layering process until all the eggplant and cheese mixture is used. Pour remaining sauce on top of layers, and sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese.
• Bake 30 to 45 minutes in the preheated oven, until sauce is bubbly.

THE BEST EGGPLANT PARMESAN

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven over medium heat, cook garlic in oil 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes, olives, basil, capers, pepper flakes and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 45-60 minutes or until thickened., Meanwhile, for eggplant, place flour and eggs in separate shallow bowls. In another bowl, combine bread crumbs, garlic powder and oregano. Dip eggplant in flour, eggs, then bread crumb mixture., In a large skillet, cook eggplant in batches in oil for 5 minutes on each side or until tender. Drain on paper towels. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, ricotta, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, basil and pepper., Preheat oven to 350°. In each of two greased 13x9-in. baking dishes, layer 1-1/2 cups tomato sauce, four eggplant slices, 1 cup ricotta mixture and 2 cups mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers. Sprinkle each with remaining Parmesan cheese. Bake, uncovered, 35-40 minutes or until bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.

EGGPLANT PARMIGIANA

Steps:

• For the tomato sauce: In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and season with salt and red pepper flakes. Cook until the onions become translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the sugar and the canned tomatoes. Use a wooden spoon to break up some of the whole tomatoes and cook 10 to 15 minutes over medium heat, stirring from time to time. Taste for seasoning, the tomatoes should be fairly broken down and the flavors coming together. Cook for another few minutes if the tomatoes still taste like they need a little more time to break down. Set aside to cool.
• For the eggplant (this step is optional, leave it out if you have limited time): Arrange the eggplant rounds in a single layer on 2 baking sheets. Sprinkle with salt on both sides of each slice and allow it to sit for about 1 hour. Salting it draws out the liquid and bitter flavor. After an hour, rinse with cold water and dry them thoroughly with a kitchen towel.
• Put the flour in a medium bowl and season with salt and pepper. In another bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk and season with salt and pepper. In a third bowl, combine the breadcrumbs with the oregano and fresh thyme leaves and season with salt and pepper. Dip each eggplant slice in the flour and shake off any excess. Then, dip in the egg mixture, and finally in the breadcrumbs. Make sure to coat both sides of each slice of eggplant. Arrange them in single layers on the baking sheets.
• In a large skillet, pour enough oil to accumulate about 1/2-inch in the bottom. Heat the oil until it begins to smoke lightly (alternatively, test with a thermometer and wait until the oil registers between 380 degrees F and 400 degrees F). Use a pair of kitchen tongs to add a single layer of the eggplant to the pan. Cook them until they are golden brown, about 2 minutes on each side. Remove from the oil and transfer to a baking sheet fitted with a kitchen towel so the eggplant can drain as the others cook. Season lightly with salt. Take care to reheat the oil back up to temperature before adding another batch of slices to the pan.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• To assemble: In a 9 by 13-inch flameproof baking dish, spoon about 1/4 of the tomato sauce on the bottom. Top with a layer of the fried eggplant; the eggplant slices can overlap slightly. Top with about 1/3 of the mozzarella slices. Sprinkle with about 1/4 of the Parmesan and provolone cheeses. Top with a layer of torn basil leaves. Spoon sauce and repeat the layering 2 more times to make 3 layers. End with the remaining mozzarella. Carefully press the layers down firmly into the dish once assembled. Place the dish in the top part of the oven and cook until the cheese is melted and bubbly, 35 to 40 minutes. For extra browning, put the dish under the broiler for a minute or two just before serving to get an extra brown cheesy top. I always nibble on a bit of that before sharing it with my friends!

THE BEST EGGPLANT PARMESAN RECIPE BY TASTY

Steps:

• Cut each eggplant into about ½-inch (1-cm) thick round slices.
• Arrange the slices in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with paper towels.
• Sprinkle the eggplant with half of the coarse salt. Flip the slices over and sprinkle with the rest of the salt.
• Put another baking sheet on top of the eggplant and place something heavy, like a cast-iron skillet, on the top baking sheet to help release moisture from the eggplant. Let sit for 30 minutes.
• Uncover the eggplant slices and pat dry with paper towels. Brush most of the salt from the eggplant with a paper towel, then transfer to a medium bowl. Set aside.
• In a separate medium bowl, combine the flour, oregano, basil, garlic powder, and pepper. Mix well.
• Heat the vegetable oil in a large frying pan until it reaches 375°F (190°C).
• Coat each eggplant slice in the flour mixture, shaking off any excess flour.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
• Fry the eggplant in batches until golden brown on both sides, 2-3 minutes per side. Drain on a paper towel-lined baking sheet and pat dry using more paper towels to absorb excess oil.
• Pour about 1 cup (260 g) of marinara sauce into a 2½-quart (2 L) baking dish and spread evenly to cover the bottom of the dish.
• Add about 8 eggplant slices (it's okay if they overlap) and cover with ½ cup (130 g) of marinara. Sprinkle with a third of the fresh basil, then top with about a third of the shredded mozzarella and Parmesan. Repeat to make 2 more layers. Finish with the fresh mozzarella cheese and a final sprinkling of Parmesan.
• Bake for 30 minutes, until the mozzarella is bubbling and golden brown.
• Let cool for 10 minutes, then serve garnished with fresh basil.
• Enjoy!

EGGPLANT PARM DIP

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400° and line a large baking sheet with foil. Drizzle garlic with oil, wrap in foil to completely enclose, and set on the prepared baking sheet. Put eggplants on baking sheet with garlic.
• Bake until eggplants are soft and blistered and garlic is caramelized, about 40 minutes. Let cool slightly.
• Split open eggplants and scoop out flesh into a food processor or blender; discard skins. Squeeze out garlic cloves and add to food processor (or blender) along with marinara, 1 cup of shredded mozzarella, 1/4 cup of Parmesan, and the whole basil leaves and season generously with salt and pepper. Process until smooth, then transfer mixture to a baking dish and sprinkle with remaining 1 1/2 cups mozzarella, 1/4 cup Parm, and bread crumbs. Drizzle with oil.
• Bake until golden and bubbly, 25 minutes.
• Garnish with sliced basil and serve with baguette.

BEST EVER EGGPLANT PARM

Steps:

• Pour the breadcrumbs into a medium shallow bowl.
• In another medium shallow bowl, whisk together the eggs until thoroughly combined.
• Peel the eggplant and slice very thinly, about 1/4 inch thick.
• Take one slice of eggplant at a time and dip it into the egg until coated on both sides, then let the excess drip off.
• Transfer to the breadcrumbs and press to coat on both sides.
• Lay the breaded eggplant on a sheet pan and repeat with the remaining slices, being sure to keep the eggplant in a single layer on the baking sheets (you will need 2-3 baking sheets, or just set the remaining pieces of breaded eggplant aside and reuse the first baking sheet).
• Preheat a broiler to high and set the oven rack as close to the top as it will go. Spray the top of the eggplant generously with olive oil spray, being sure to evenly coat each piece.
• Place under the broiler for 2-3 minutes, but keep an eye on it, as broilers all heat differently and can go from browned to burnt in an instant.
• When the eggplant turns golden brown and crisp, remove from the oven and use a pair of tongs to turn each piece of eggplant over to the other side. Spray with another thorough coat of olive oil spray, then place back under the broiler and watch until browned on the other side. Some pieces may brown before others - remove them with a pair of tongs and continue cooking the rest. Set the eggplant aside to cool and repeat with all the remaining pieces.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and set aside 1 1/2 cups each of mozzarella and provolone. Pour just enough sauce to coat the bottom of a 9x13 inch casserole dish.
• Place a single, even layer of eggplant over the sauce, then top with another thin layer of sauce, spreading it out to cover all of the eggplant as best as you can.
• Sprinkle a little bit of mozzarella, provolone and pecorino Romano over top, then repeat with another layer of eggplant, more sauce, more cheese, etc. until you've used up all the eggplant, sauce and cheese.
• For the last layer, spread the remaining sauce across the top, and then finish by sprinkling with the remaining 3 cups of cheese that you set aside.
• Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes or until it's bubbling around the edges and just starting to turn golden on top.
• Remove from the oven and let cool for at least 30 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped basil or parsley if desired, and serve. Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days and actually taste better than the first day.