The Best Homemade Eggplant Parm
Don’t be fooled….anything worth preparing takes time. This is no exception at 2.5 hr prep time and 3 hrs+ before it’s ready to eat. Definitely a start-it-at-3 or 4 pm kind of dinner. Original recipe from Bon Appetit which says you can prep this 2 days ahead of time. Next time I’d probably have 2 cast iron skillets going because frying the eggplant was the longest part - it took 30 mins. You could also make the homemade sauce a day ahead and save time the night of OR cheat and use jarred sauce but if you taste the homemade you won’t be able to go back. It also takes a lot of paper towels to soak up eggplant oil and a lot of olive oil to fry but it is so worth it. I only had 3 eggs and definitely could have used the other 2 the original recipe called for so I used almond milk in a pinch and it turned out just fine. You could make it vegan this way. Panko breadcrumbs fry it better than regular but I used 2 cups Panko, 1 cup regular because #thatswhatihad
INGREDIENTS
Marinara
¼ cup olive oil
1 head of garlic, cloves crushed
1 large red onion, chopped
3 oil-packed anchovy fillets
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon tomato paste
¼ cup dry white wine
2 28-ounce cans whole peeled tomatoes (I like San Marzano)
¼ cup torn basil leaves
½ teaspoon dried oregano
Kosher salt
Eggplant and Assembly
4 pounds Italian eggplants (about 4 medium), peeled, sliced lengthwise ½–¾ inch thick
Kosher salt
3 cups panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
1½ teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1½ cups finely grated Parmesan, divided
1½ cups all-purpose flour
5 large eggs, beaten to blend
1⅓ cups olive oil
½ cup finely chopped basil and parsley, plus basil leaves for serving
6 ounces low-moisture mozzarella, grated (about 1⅓ cups)
8 ounces fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
RECIPE PREPARATION
Marinara
OPTIONAL DAY BEFORE: Preheat oven to 350°. Heat oil in a large heavy ovenproof pot over medium. Cook garlic, stirring often, until golden, about 4 minutes. Add onion, anchovies (if using), and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring often, until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and cook, stirring often, until slightly darkened, about 2 minutes. Add wine, bring to a boil, and cook until almost completely evaporated, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes, breaking up with your hands, and their juices; add basil and oregano and stir to combine. Swirl 1½ cups water into one tomato can, then the other, to rinse, and add to pot; season with salt. Transfer pot to oven; roast sauce, stirring halfway through, until thick and tomatoes are browned on top and around edges of pot, 2–2½ hours. If you’re in a pinch an hour will do.
Let sauce cool slightly. Pass through the large holes of a food mill or process in a food processor until mostly smooth. Taste and season with salt.
Eggplant and Assembly
Lightly season eggplant slices all over with salt; place in a single layer on several layers of paper towels inside a rimmed baking sheet. Top with another layer of paper towels and more slices; repeat as needed. Top with a final layer of paper towels, then another rimmed baking sheet; weigh down with a heavy pot. Let eggplant sit until it has released excess liquid, 45–60 minutes. This step gives the eggplant a creamy texture when baked.
Meanwhile, pulse panko, oregano, pepper, and ¾ cup Parmesan in a food processor until very finely ground. Transfer to a shallow bowl.
Preheat oven to 350°. Place flour in another shallow bowl and eggs in a third shallow bowl. Working one at a time, dredge eggplant slices in flour, then dip in egg, allowing excess to drip off. Coat in breadcrumbs, packing all around, then shaking off excess. Place on wire racks.
Heat ⅔ cup oil in a large skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium-high. Cook as many eggplant slices as will comfortably fit in pan, turning once, until deep golden, about 5 minutes. Transfer to paper towels and immediately press with more paper towel to absorb oil. Working in batches, repeat with remaining slices, adding remaining ⅔ cup oil and wiping out skillet as needed. Let cool. Taste and season with more salt if needed.
Toss chopped herbs, low-moisture mozzarella, and remaining ¾ cup Parmesan in a medium bowl. Spread 1 cup sauce over the bottom of a 13x9" baking pan; top with a layer of eggplant slices (trim as needed). Drizzle 1 cup sauce over and sprinkle with one-third of cheese mixture. Add another layer of eggplant, followed by 1 cup sauce and half of remaining cheese mixture. Repeat layers with remaining slices, sauce, and cheese mixture. Cover with foil and bake on a rimmed baking sheet until eggplant is custardy, 45–60 minutes.
Remove from oven and arrange fresh mozzarella over eggplant. Increase oven temperature to 425° and bake, uncovered, until cheese is bubbling and browned in spots, 15–20 minutes longer. Let rest 30 minutes. Top with basil leaves just before slicing.
