Roasted Eggplant Parmesan

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I stole this recipe for Roasted Eggplant Parmesan from Ina Garten’s cookbook Cook Like a Pro: Recipes & Tips for Home Cooks. This vegetarian entrée is fancy enough for a holiday meal! First, seasoned eggplant slices are roasted in the oven. Then the bottom of a baking dish is spread with marinara sauce. Next, layers of roasted eggplant, mozzarella cheese, goat cheese and Parmesan cheese go on top of the sauce. After the pan is filled, a topping made of breadcrumbs, garlic, basil, olive oil and salt is sprinkled on the last layer. Then the dish is baked until the topping is golden brown.

“When you cut that eggplant up and you roast it in the oven and you make the tomato sauce and you put it on top, your soul is in that food, and there’s something about that that can never be made by a company that has three million employees.” – Mario Batali, American Chef (see more quotes in the Quotes tab)

Preheat oven to 400 F. Thinly slice 2 ½ lbs eggplant that have been halved lengthwise. (I recommend using a mandoline.)

Then lay the eggplant in one layer on three sheet pans and brush both sides with ¾ cup olive oil. Sprinkle with 1 tbsp oregano, crushing it lightly with your hands, then sprinkle with 1 ½ tsp salt and 1 ½ tsp pepper. Bake for 15 minutes. Turn the slices and rotate the pans in the oven and bake for another 10 minutes, until tender.

Next in a 10x14x2 inch ceramic baking dish, spread a third of a 24 oz jar marinara sauce. Arrange a third of the eggplant on top in one layer. Scatter a third of ½ cup basil, ⅓ lb fresh mozzarella, 2 oz goat cheese and ½ cup Parmesan cheese on top.

Repeat twice, starting with the marinara and ending with the Parmesan cheese, making sure each layer is evenly distributed.

Then place 1 ⅓ cups breadcrumbs, 4 minced cloves of garlic, ¼ cup chopped basil, ¼ cup olive oil and 1 tsp salt in a small bowl.

Next, mix well to combine. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the dish.

Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until bubbling and golden brown.

Allow to sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving. Serve as is or with pasta.

If you liked the recipe for Roasted Eggplant Parmesan you can try other eggplant dishes like Eggplant Meatballs with Marinara Sauce, Roasted Vegetable Penne and Roasted Eggplant & Tomato Orzo.

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Roasted Eggplant Parmesan

This vegetarian entrée is fancy enough for a holiday meal! First, seasoned eggplant slices are roasted in the oven. Then the bottom of a baking dish is spread with marinara sauce. Next, layers of roasted eggplant, mozzarella cheese, goat cheese and Parmesan cheese go on top of the sauce. After the pan is filled, a topping made of breadcrumbs, garlic, basil, olive oil and salt is sprinkled on the last layer. Then the dish is baked until the topping is golden brown.

Course Entree
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Resting Time 10 minutes
Servings 6 people

Ingredients

  • 2 ½ lbs eggplant unpeeled, halved lengthwise, and sliced ¼ to ⅓ inch thick
  • ¾ cup good olive oil
  • 1 tbsp dried oregano
  • 1 ½ tsp each: salt and pepper
  • 24 oz jar marinara sauce
  • ½ cup julienned fresh basil leaves
  • 1 pound fresh buffalo mozzarella thinly sliced
  • 8 oz garlic and herb goat cheese
  • 1 ½ cups freshly grated Italian Parmesan cheese

Topping

  • 1 ⅓ cups fresh bread crumbs from a country loaf
  • 4 garlic cloves minced
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh basil or parsley leaves
  • ¼ cup good olive oil
  • 1 tsp salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 F and arrange three racks evenly spaced.
  2. Lay the eggplant in one layer on three sheet pans and brush both sides with olive oil, using all the oil. Sprinkle with oregano, crushing it lightly with your hands, then sprinkle with 1 ½ tsp salt and 1 ½ tsp pepper. Bake for 15 minutes. Turn the slices and rotate the pans in the oven and bake for another 10 minutes, until tender. Leave the oven at 400 F.

  3. In a 10x14x2 inch ceramic baking dish, spread a third of the marinara sauce. Arrange a third of the eggplant on top in one layer. Scatter a third of the basil, a third of the mozzarella, a third of the goat cheese and a third of the Parmesan cheese on top. Repeat twice, starting with the marinara and ending with the Parmesan cheese, making sure each layer is evenly distributed.

  4. For the topping, place the breadcrumbs, garlic and basil in a food processor and pulse to combine. Add the ¼ cup olive oil and 1 tsp salt and pulse to moisten the crumbs. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the dish.
  5. Bake 45 to 50 minutes, until bubbling and golden brown. Allow to sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving.