Tender, flavorful, and way easier than you realized.
Vegetables are kind of like people. They have their own personalities, and you can’t just treat them all the same.
Some veggies taste great the minute you pick them. You can pull a fresh snow pea or a ripe cherry tomato off the vine and just bite right into it, and it’s simply sublime. But other veggies don’t really come into their own until they’re cooked. Like some people, they just need a little TLC to bring out their best qualities.
Eggplant is one of those veggies. Raw, it’s kind of spongy and weird; cooked, it develops a tender, melting texture and soaks up the flavor of any sauce you cook it with. Which, of course, is what makes eggplant parmesan so wonderful.
It doesn’t take any special skill to work this magic on an eggplant, either. All you have to do is slice it, bread it, and bake it. After 25 minutes in a medium oven, you’ll have perfectly tender slices, ready to be layered in a pan with sauce and cheese and baked into a zesty, cheesy, melt-in-your mouth casserole. Who knew eggplant parmesan could be that easy?
Do I need to peel the eggplant first?
Not if it’s a good eggplant. The skin will tenderize just fine in the oven, and it’s full of nutrients. But if your eggplant is kind of on the old side, the skin can be bitter, so you might want peel it. You can also try soaking the whole eggplant in water for 15 minutes before using it, which can take out some of the bitterness.
I don’t have any Italian breadcrumbs, but I have regular breadcrumbs. Can I use them?
You can make your plain breadcrumbs into Italian breadcrumbs by mixing in half a teaspoon each of salt, pepper, garlic powder, and parsley flakes, and a quarter teaspoon each of onion powder, dried oregano, and dried basil. You can adjust these seasonings to your taste if there’s something you don’t like, or something you like a whole lot.
Can I make this ahead of time and freeze the eggplant parmesan?
It’s a bit tricky because there’s so much moisture in the eggplant. One thing that can help is to assemble the casserole and freeze it before baking it. You can also bake it only partway, so that it’s slightly undercooked. Wrap it snugly to prevent freezer burn. When you’re ready to use it, thaw it overnight in the fridge – not on the counter, and not in the microwave. Or just put it straight from the freezer into the oven.
How to Make Easy Eggplant Parmesan
Ingredients you will need:
- eggplants
- Italian breadcrumbs
- parmesan cheese
- eggs
- water
- marinara sauce
- mozzarella cheese
- fresh basil
- Preheat oven to 350. In shallow bowl whisk together your breadcrumbs and parmesan.
- In another bowl whisk together eggs and water.
- Dip each of your slices of eggplant into eggs than into breadcrumbs. Layer in single layer onto baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes.
- In a 9×13″ baking dish, spread about 1/4 cup of your marinara sauce onto bottom of pan. Layer 6 slices of your eggplant. Top with half of your remaining marinara then 1 1/2 cup cheese, repeat layers.
- Bake in oven for 25-30 minutes until cheese is melted and golden.
- Sprinkle with sliced basil and serve.
TOOLS USED FOR THIS EASY EGGPLANT PARMESAN RECIPE
Baking dish: This dish will work great for all your slider recipes!
Measuring cups and spoons: Each cup’s “ml” and cup sizes have passed clearly engraved marking, and you can quickly identify the cup scale according to the color of the handle.
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How to Make Easy Eggplant Parmesan
Ingredients
- 2 medium eggplants slices into 12 1/2" slices
- 1 cup Italian breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup parmesan
- 3 eggs
- 2 Tbs water
- 24 oz jar marinara sauce
- 3 cups mozzarella cheese
- Sliced fresh basil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350. In shallow bowl whisk together your breadcrumbs and parmesan.
- In another bowl whisk together eggs and water.
- Dip each of your slices of eggplant into eggs than into breadcrumbs.
- Layer in single layer onto baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes.
- In a 9x13" baking dish, spread about 1/4 cup of your marinara sauce onto bottom of pan.
- Layer 6 slices of your eggplant.
- Top with half of your remaining marinara then 1 1/2 cup cheese, repeat layers.
- Bake in oven for 25-30 minutes until cheese is melted and golden.
- Sprinkle with sliced basil and serve.
Video
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Nutrition Information:
Nutrition Disclaimer
Family Fresh Meals is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.
Karin Lint says
Hi, can I substitute the eggplants with other veggie, i.e: zucchini? This recipe looks delicious and I would love to try it but someone allergic to eggplant. Thx.
Angelina says
Sure, then it wouldn’t be Eggplant Parmesan, but still pretty tasty. I’d try it, but you’d need several more zucchini. I’d do one zucchini per person, ’cause the slices would be tiny-compared to sliced eggplant.
Connie says
Step 3 should read then not than.
Looking forward to trying this recipe.
Sonia Kuczynski says
Easy and Tasty , Husband LOVED IT