This is a hold over from #NoBuyJanuary. I know that sounds silly because who has eggplant laying around for a month? Not me. But I had everything else for the meal at my house and I needed something to tie it all together. That one thing was eggplant. I had salsiccia in the freezer, sauce I had canned in the basement (scaccia sauce, pg. 123 in your cookbook), pasta in the pantry, cheeses in the fridge and half of a baguette from the night before. So, I went and bought some eggplant and this simple dinner was thrown together.
I LOVE eggplant parmesan! It is an Italian food you can order in many Italian restaurants and it is almost always good. Traditionally (at least in my family) it is eggplant that has been breaded (breadcrumbs, pg. 108) and fried then layered into a dish with sauce and cheese. HEAVEN! I have even done an “individual” serving of this where I fry large rounds of breaded eggplant, top each one with sauce and cheese and bake. It makes for a beautiful, easy to serve side dish. Or, serve it over pasta and you have a main course.
But you know what, frying is a pain. Don’t get me wrong, I love frying things and nothing tastes better! But, it is time consuming and messy. It is something I have to be in the mood to do. Sometimes I want the flavor without all the work. Enter this Eggplant Parmesan! And, since we are skipping the breading step it is gluten-free. Yay! So… let’s get to it…
I cook the eggplant ahead of time; the method depends on the season. It’s winter, so I baked it. Don’t worry, the grilling method is also listed below. I keep the prepared eggplant in the fridge for up to 3 days. I throw the casserole together on the night I want to eat it. Breaking up the steps like that makes it really easy. But, it isn’t hard at all if you want to do it all at the same time. Most of the time is “cooking time” so really, that is free time. May I suggest watching Bridgerton with all your free time.
Just layer everything together and bake. So easy. I like to serve over pasta (so no longer gluten-free) with some salsiccia and bread. But it is absolutely delicious on its own!!! Enjoy!
Eggplant Parmesan (gluten-free)
Ingredients:
2 medium Eggplant, sliced and baked* or grilled**
1 ¾ c Marinara Sauce, divided
¾ c Mozzarella Cheese, divided
4 T Parmesan Cheese, divided
Fresh Basil (for garnish)
Preheat oven to 350
Spray an 8×8 casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray.
Place a very thin layer of sauce on the bottom of the dish.
Arrange half of the eggplant so it covers the bottom of the dish.
Spoon a ½ – ¾ cup of sauce over the top of the eggplant and spread around; sprinkle with ¼ cup of mozzarella and 2 T of parmesan cheese.
Repeat the layers using the rest of the eggplant, sauce and cheeses.
Bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until cheese is golden and bubbly.
Let cool for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
Ingredients:
2 medium Eggplant, sliced ¼” – ½” thick, baked or grilled*
3 T Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper to taste
Granulated Garlic/Garlic Powder to taste (optional)
*Baked
Preheat oven to 425
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
Cut the eggplant into thick ¼“ – ½“ slices (I like lengthwise for this recipe but if you prefer round, go for it).
Arrange eggplant in a single layer on the two baking sheets.
Drizzle the eggplant with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper and garlic powder (if using) on both sides.
Place in hot oven for 30 minutes, flipping halfway through.
**Grilled
Turn on the grill and heat medium to medium-high.
Prepare the eggplant the same as listed above with olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic powder.
Place eggplant slices on grill and cook until nice grill marks form, about 10 minutes.
Do not check the eggplant before 7 minutes. It will be easier to flip if the grill marks have formed.
Flip the eggplant and cook for another 7 – 10 minutes on the other side.
I will bake/grill the eggplant days ahead of time and store it in the fridge. Then throwing the casserole together is a snap!
Eggplant Parmesan (gluten-free)
Ingredients
For The Casserole
- 2 medium Eggplant sliced and baked* or grilled**
- 1 ¾ c Marinara Sauce divided
- ¾ c Mozzarella Cheese divided
- 4 T Parmesan Cheese divided
- Fresh Basil for garnish
For The Eggplant
- 2 medium Eggplant sliced ¼” - ½” thick
- 3 T Olive Oil
- Salt & Pepper to taste
- Granulated Garlic/Garlic Powder to taste optional
Instructions
For The Casserole
- Preheat oven to 350
- Spray an 8x8 casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray.
- Place a very thin layer of sauce on the bottom of the dish.
- Arrange half of the eggplant so it covers the bottom of the dish.
- Spoon a ½ - ¾ cup of sauce over the top of the eggplant and spread around; sprinkle with ¼ cup of mozzarella and 2 T of parmesan cheese.
- Repeat the layers using the rest of the eggplant, sauce and cheeses.
- Bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until cheese is golden and bubbly.
- Let cool for 15 minutes before slicing and serving. Garnish each serving with fresh basil if desired.
*Baked Eggplant
- Preheat oven to 425
- Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Cut the eggplant into thick ¼“ – ½“ slices (I like lengthwise for this recipe but if you prefer round, go for it). Arrange eggplant in a single layer on the two baking sheets.
- Drizzle the eggplant with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper and garlic powder (if using) on both sides.
- Place in hot oven for 30 minutes, flipping halfway through.
**Grilled Eggplant
- Turn on the grill and heat medium to medium-high.
- Prepare the eggplant the same as listed above with olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic powder.
- Place eggplant slices on grill and cook until nice grill marks form, about 10 minutes. Do not check the eggplant before 7 minutes. It will be easier to flip if the grill marks have formed. Flip the eggplant and cook for another 7 - 10 minutes on the other side.
This sounds and looks so delicious because it is! Another recipe that will inspire me to make soon!
Can’t wait to hear how it turns out!
Excited to make your recipe!
Yay! I hope you love it as much as I do!