Easy Eggplant Parmesan skips the tedious hand-breading and frying! Baked with layers of fresh eggplant, mozzarella cheese, and plenty of marinara sauce, this simple casserole makes an easy vegetarian weeknight dinner.
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Let me introduce you to my new favorite dinner: lazy girl eggplant parmesan. No dredging, no frying, no mess!
This easy eggplant parmesan is basically a big, tasty eggplant casserole. It comes together in three simple steps: broil the eggplant, layer it in a baking dish with marinara sauce, fresh mozzarella, and breadcrumbs, then bake!
Serve it with pasta or spaghetti squash and you've got a full meal! This easy version is just as satisfying as the real thing without any of the time consuming mess.
Ingredients
- Eggplant
- Olive oil
- Marinara sauce
- Fresh mozzarella
- Panko bread crumbs
- Parmesan cheese
- Coarse kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Spaghetti
- Parsley (optional)
How to make baked eggplant parmesan
- Slice the eggplant, place it on a baking sheet, brush with olive oil, and broil until soft and just beginning to brown.
- Meanwhile, thoroughly combine bread crumbs, Parmesan, and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Arrange the broiled eggplant slices in a baking dish with marinara sauce, then top with mozzarella cheese and the breadcrumb mixture.
- Bake until hot, melted, and bubbly.
- While the eggplant is baking, cook spaghetti according to package directions and drain. Serve spaghetti topped with a scoop of the eggplant and sprinkled with chopped parsley, if desired.
Top tips
How to choose and store an eggplant
When you're at the grocery store or farmer's market, choose an eggplant that is heavy for its size and has a smooth, shiny skin. There shouldn't be any wrinkled or soft, sunken spots. The eggplant should be firm and medium in size.
Just a heads up, I feel like eggplants spoil much quicker than other veggies I keep in the refrigerator. I generally only go to the grocery store once a week, and need to plan to cook my eggplant within three days max or it will have gone bad.
You'll know your eggplant has gone bad if it is dark and squishy on the inside. When cutting into a good eggplant it will have a light colored flesh and small seeds speckled throughout.
Vegetarian parmesan cheese
Real parmesan cheese is not vegetarian because it uses animal rennet. If it is important to you to make this a vegetarian eggplant parm sandwich, look for a parmesan cheese made with vegetable rennet instead.
Slice the eggplant as evenly as possible
Even slices mean even cooking! Try to slice all the pieces of eggplant to they are the same thickness.
To avoid tough eggplant, make sure to slice it no thicker than ½ inch. For this recipe, I like to cut the rounds about ¼ inch in thickness to ensure they'll be fully cooked through.
How to store no fry eggplant parmesan
Leftover eggplant parmesan can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.
You can also freeze leftovers in a sealed container for up to 3 months.
How to customize easy eggplant parmesan:
- Swap the fresh mozzarella for shredded mozzarella
- Use vegetarian parmesan cheese to keep this vegetarian
- Leave the cheese off entirely to make vegan eggplant parmesan
- Use gluten-free bread crumbs to make gluten-free eggplant parmesan
- Serve it inside a roll for an easy eggplant parmesan sandwich
- Use your favorite store bought or homemade marinara sauce, or really change it up with pesto or alfredo sauce
- Skip the pasta and enjoy with a side salad
- Meat eaters can swap the eggplant with chicken (adjust your cooking time accordingly)
FAQ
When making this easy eggplant parmesan, it is entirely up to you if you want to peel the eggplant. I did not peel it for the photos, but I do often peel it before making this recipe because once cooked, the peel will come away easily from the rest of the eggplant flesh, and it can look a little unruly.
Salting the eggplant is not necessary for this recipe, but if you have extra time, give it a go!
Simply slice the eggplant, sprinkle kosher salt on the tops and bottom of each slice and leave to sit for about an hour. The salt will pull moisture out of the eggplant and take the bitterness out of the skin. Then, after the hour, pat the eggplant slices dry with a paper towel.
More easy vegetarian dinner recipes
- Eggplant Meatballs
- Eggplant Parmesan Sandwich
- Lentil Veggie Burgers
- Walnut Burgers
- Black Bean Burgers
- Butter Bean Recipe
- Spaghetti with Vegetarian Meatballs
- Olive Oil Alfredo
- Penne al Pomodoro
- Spaghetti Arrabbiata
- Spaghetti Aglio Olio
If you make this recipe, be sure to rate it, leave a comment, or tag #theliveinkitchen on Instagram!
Recipe
Easy Eggplant Parmesan
Ingredients
- 2 medium eggplant
- Olive oil
- 3 cups marinara sauce
- 8 ounces fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
- 1 cup plain or whole wheat panko bread crumbs
- ½ cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese
- Coarse kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pound spaghetti
- Parsley, finely chopped (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the broiler on your oven to high and place an oven rack in the highest position.
- Remove the ends of the eggplant and cut them into slices about ¼ inch thick. Arrange the slices in a single layer on a large baking sheet and brush both sides lightly with olive oil or spray with cooking spray. Broil 5-7 minutes per side or until soft and just beginning to brown. When the eggplant is done move the oven rack down to the middle position and heat the oven to bake at 425ºF.
- Meanwhile, thoroughly combine bread crumbs, Parmesan, and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Coat a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Pour a little marinara in the bottom of the pan and spread around evenly. Arrange the eggplant slices in the dish. They will be slightly overlapping. Cover with remaining marinara sauce. Arrange mozzarella slices on top of the sauce. Sprinkle bread crumb mixture evenly over the top and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until bubbly and beginning to brown.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook spaghetti according to package directions and drain. Serve spaghetti topped with a scoop of the eggplant and sprinkled with chopped parsley, if desired.
Elizabeth @ Confessions of a Baking Queen says
Wow, I just recently got into eggplant parm and I LOOOOVE that you used fresh mozz! Must try this!!
Lindsay Moe says
You really must! I think you'll love it!
Annette rachlin says
The badic idea behind this recipe is good but it needs some changes. The eggplant should be thicker--1/2 inch at least. Broil no more than 3 minutes on a side. And then bake at 350 degrees. At 425, mine burnt.
Lindsay Moe says
Thanks for your input Annette. All oven temperatures vary, so it is important to do what works best in your oven!
Lisa Sherin says
Thank you for this recipe! it was easy to prepare, and turned out juicy and crispy at the same time. My one suggestion is to increase the width of the eggplant. I found that 1/4 inch slides were too thin and not substantial enough. I ended up layering them in the baking dish and it was great.