READY IN ABOUT 1½ hrs

Eggplant Parmesan with Fresh Basil and Smoked Mozzarella

Read Reviews (10)

"The heavenly, salty, slightly sweet combination of rich tomato-y marinara, crispy creamy fried eggplant, and smoked mozzarella. I'd call this dish transcendent." — lindseytr0n

Directions

Line a plate with a paper towel; place a layer of 2 or 3 slices of eggplant onto the towel. Sprinkle eggplant with sea salt. Repeat layers of eggplant sprinkled with salt until all eggplant slices are stacked. Place 2 paper towels onto the stack and place a plate on top of the towels. Lay a heavy book or can of food onto the plate to squeeze out moisture. Allow to drip for 20 minutes to 2 hours. Rinse and pat dry.
Beat eggs with milk in a shallow bowl. Place bread crumbs into a separate bowl. Dip eggplant slices in the egg mixture and gently press into the crumbs to coat; set aside.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease an 8x8-inch baking dish.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; fry eggplant slices in the hot oil in small batches until golden brown, about 1 to 2 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels.
Pour about 1/4 cup of marinara sauce into the bottom of the prepared baking dish and arrange a layer of eggplant slices to cover the sauce. Scatter basil and a few slices of smoked mozzarella cheese over eggplant; repeat layers, ending with a layer of sauce on top. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the top.
Bake in the preheated oven until heated through and the cheese has melted, about 15 minutes. Serve immediately.

Kitchen-Friendly View

PREP 20 mins
COOK 40 mins
READY IN 1 hr 20 mins

Footnotes

Cook's Note:
Let eggplant drain for at least 20 minutes; you can leave it up to 2 hours. It yields a crispy, creamy eggplant fritter, not a soggy one.
Editor's Note:
The nutrition data for this recipe includes the full amount of the breading ingredients. The actual amount of the breading consumed will vary. We have determined the nutritional value of oil for frying based on a retention value of 10% after cooking. The exact amount will vary depending on cooking time and temperature, ingredient density, and the specific type of oil used.

Reviews More Reviews

Jul 17, 2012

This recipe was simple, easy and turned out awesome. The thinner slices of eggplant made a crispy dish even after the sauce. My eleven month old son even had seconds.

—Eyeballkid

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Oct 21, 2012

Delicious!!! My 7 year old asked for thirds! I used regular mozzarella instead of smoked, and laid the eggplant slices flat on a cookie sheet rather than layering them in a baking dish. Amazing, great recipe, thanks!

—ANDRAROGERS

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17 Ratings

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Aug 14, 2012

wow! This is a delicious recipe. The smoked mozzarella is excellent and will be a permanent substitution for plain mozzarella in future Eggplant Parmesan dishes. I come from a long line of Italian cooks who are known for this dish. That said, I was happy to find a recipe that deviated from the usual way we make it. I am a basil fan so I did add extra basil. My Nonie insists that you must dip in flour first before the egg and bread crumbs. Since I have grown up with that step , I do it automatically now. Not sure if it even makes a difference! Just when I thought I couldn't improve on the family recipe, I did! We make our own sauces and freeze for future use. I chose the caramelized onion and red bell pepper sauce which went great. Next time I am making a double batch! Oh thank you for this jewel of a recipe!

—Mom of five

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Sep 16, 2012

Great recipe! Unfortunately, my store didn't have smoked mozzarella, but I used fresh and it was still good. I took another person's advice and dipped the eggplant in flour before the egg/milk mixture. It helps the breadcrumbs stay on!

—hanajane

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Aug 13, 2012

This is a real keeper. Excellent! I added a little pasta in between the layers. Filling and yummy!

—Connie

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Feb 05, 2013

This was my first taste of eggplant and I absolutely loved this recipe and so did my family! This dish will become a regular favorite on my families table.

—sassygirl

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Nov 14, 2012

Atempting to have a meatless Monday with my hubby and kids. This turned out to be a meatless Wednesday instead. LOVED this recipe! Kids loved it too which is surprising because they don't like much. The only thing I changed was that I used panko crumbs instead of bread crumbs. This was only because I didn't have bread crumbs available. I served this with spaghetti squash and garlic bread. Will surely use again! Thanks for sharing.

—Amy Ridgeway

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Nov 01, 2012

This is incredible. My husband is a very picky eater and he loved it, and we had a lot of leftovers so I took it in to work for my employees to try- it was gone within 3 hours and everyone said they absolutely loved it! :-) I did make the tomato sauce from scratch, and followed review suggestions to dip the eggplant in flour before the egg and bread crumbs- it worked beautifully. This is a definite favorite- I'll be making it often!

—yokuokitahi

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Nutrition

Calories
461 kcal
23%

Carbohydrates
44.9 g
14%

Cholesterol
117 mg
39%

Fat
22.3 g
34%

Fiber
9.2 g
37%

Protein
21.1 g
42%

Sodium
1583 mg
63%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Nutritional Information

Eggplant Parmesan with Fresh Basil and Smoked Mozzarella

Serving Size: 1/5 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 5
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 461
Calories from Fat: 200

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 22.3g 34 %
Saturated Fat 9.1g 45 %
Cholesterol 117mg 39 %
Sodium 1583mg 63 %
** Potassium 829mg 23 %
Total Carbohydrates 44.9g 14 %
Dietary Fiber 9.2g 37 %
Protein 21.1g 42 %
** Sugars 16.2g
** Vitamin A 34 %
** Vitamin C 15 %
** Calcium 27 %
** Iron 76 %
** Thiamin 16 %
** Niacin 60 %
** Vitamin B6 26 %
** Magnesium 25 %
** Folate 38 %

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.