Cheesy, tomatoey eggplant parm is classic Italian comfort food, as essential and delicious as lasagna or a bowl of pasta. While there’s a fair amount of debate about where the dish originated (scholars make arguments for Naples, Sicily, and Parma), we know that it has been cooked in essentially its current form since at least the 1830s. The layered casserole—made from fried breaded eggplant, mozzarella cheese, marinara sauce, and Parmesan cheese—makes an excellent vegetarian main with a light salad and garlic bread. It’s also a versatile side dish for a meatier centerpiece, like porchetta.
The key to eggplant parm success is to prepare sliced eggplant by salting it (to remove excess moisture and tame its bitterness) and then bread the slices and fry them carefully, without crowding the pan, until they’re crispy and golden brown. For this eggplant Parmesan recipe, we turn to panko breadcrumbs instead of the classic Italian breadcrumb mixture for an extra-crunchy texture. The marinara sauce also plays a huge role in this dish, adding much of the casserole’s depth and flavor, so make it from scratch if at all possible rather than using a store-bought version. Here, we purée fresh tomatoes and cook the resulting sauce with garlic and a heap of fresh basil, adding a combo of black pepper and red chile flakes to give the mixture a boost of warmth. Preparing these two elements properly takes a little time, but the result is well worth the effort, and both can be done ahead of time if you like.
Recipe information
Total Time
2 hours 30 minutes
Yield
8 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Toss eggplant with 2 tsp. kosher salt in a colander set over a bowl, then let drain 30 minutes.
Step 2
While eggplant drains, cut an X in bottom of each tomato with a sharp paring knife and blanch tomatoes together in a 5-quart pot of boiling water 1 minute. Transfer tomatoes with a slotted spoon to a cutting board and, when cool enough to handle, peel off skin, beginning from scored end, with paring knife.
Step 3
Coarsely chop tomatoes, then coarsely purée in batches in a blender. Heat 3 Tbsp. oil in a 5-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then add garlic and sauté, stirring, until golden, about 30 seconds. Add tomato purée, basil, 1 tsp. salt, ½ tsp. pepper, and red pepper flakes and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, 25 to 30 minutes.
Step 4
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375°F.
Step 5
Stir together flour, remaining ¼ tsp. kosher salt, and remaining ¼ tsp. pepper in a shallow bowl. Lightly beat eggs in a second shallow bowl, then stir together panko and ⅓ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano in a third shallow bowl.
Step 6
Working with 1 slice at a time, dredge eggplant in flour, shaking off excess, then dip in egg, letting excess drip off, and dredge in panko until evenly coated. Transfer eggplant to sheets of wax paper, arranging slices in 1 layer.
Step 7
Heat remaining 1½ cups oil in a deep 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then fry eggplant 4 slices at a time, turning over once, until golden brown, 5 to 6 minutes per batch. Transfer with tongs to paper towels to drain.
Step 8
Spread 1 cup tomato sauce in bottom of a rectangular 3½-quart (13- by 11- by 2-inch) baking dish. Arrange about one-third of eggplant slices in 1 layer over sauce, overlapping slightly if necessary. Cover the layer of eggplant with about one-third of remaining sauce (about 1¼ cups) and one-third of mozzarella. Continue layering with remaining eggplant, sauce, and mozzarella. Sprinkle top with remaining ⅓ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano.
Step 9
Bake, uncovered, until cheese is melted and golden and sauce is bubbling, 35 to 40 minutes.
Do Ahead: Tomato sauce can be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered.
Editor’s note: This recipe was originally printed in the August 2004 issue of ‘Gourmet.’ Head this way for more of our comfort food favorites →
Recipe notes
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