Return to the Table logo banner Dinner with Caterina
February 19, 2025

Easy Eggplant Parmesan

IMG 4686
Print

Easy Eggplant Parmesan

IMG 4510

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

The traditional eggplant Parmesan — in which eggplant is dredged in egg, coated in homemade breadcrumbs, and fried — is undeniably delicious but a bit labor-intensive. This version simplifies the process by baking the eggplant, so you can make an easy eggplant Parmesan with less effort.

Ingredients

Scale

1 large eggplant cut into 1/4-inch slices

Olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2-3 cups tomato sauce (homemade, if possible)

8 oz. fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced (fresh, not shredded, if possible)

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

Roast the eggplant:

  • Preheat the oven to 350° F.
  • Put a few drops of olive oil on a sheet pan and rub it around to coat the pan, or line the pan with parchment paper. This will prevent the eggplant from sticking to the pan. 
  • Arrange the eggplant slices on the sheet pan in a single layer. 
  • Drizzle the tops lightly with olive oil (see tip below) and season with salt and pepper.
  • Bake for about 20 minutes, until the slices are soft but not mushy.

Assemble the dish:

  • Spread a thin layer of tomato sauce on the bottom of a baking dish.
  • Add a layer of roasted eggplant.
  • Spoon more tomato sauce on top, then add slices of mozzarella and a sprinkle of Parmesan.
  • Repeat the layers until all the eggplant is used.

Bake and finish:

  • Bake at 350° F until the cheese is melted and bubbly, about 20–25 minutes.
  • For a golden-brown top, broil for 3–4 minutes at the end.

Enjoy your eggplant Parmesan!

IMG 4686

Top with fresh basil, or not

IMG 4681 

IMG 4510
A single layer of eggplant Parmesan

Notes:

A dish is only as good as its ingredients, so when possible, use fresh mozzarella and grated Parmesan for the best flavor — and avoid the cellulose found in pre-shredded cheese. 

To make pouring olive oil easier, use a bottle with a spout. This gives you better control so you can add just a drizzle when needed. You can either attach a spout to your olive oil bottle or keep a dedicated refillable bottle with a spout. I find it convenient to have a dedicated bottle with a spout. I refill it and then I never have to worry about whether the spout will fit another bottle. Having a fillable bottle is also handy when buying large bottles or tins of olive oil. Just use a funnel and fill it up. Plus, the dark glass also protects the olive oil from sunlight, which can cause oxidation.

IMG 2061 1

Green glass olive oil bottle with a spout

Olive Oil Lovers online olive oil store

IMG 9325

You can find an easy tomato sauce recipe here

Share This

Facebook    Pinterest 

I often cook "au pif," as we say in France, which means cooking without an exact recipe and by "feel" using your intuition.  You’ll find guidelines in many recipes versus exact quantities.  Write to me here if you have any questions about the recipes.

Copyright 2019-2025, Return to the Table by Caterina De Falco, All Rights Reserved

I provide links to products and services I genuinely love and want to share with you. Some of these links may earn me a referral commission at no additional cost to you. This referral fee helps support this site. Thank you for your support!
Caterina DeFalco image for contact page
Ciao for now!
caterina's signature

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

Student Success Stories

  • Now I Have Great Kitchen Intuition!

    "Finding you [has] truly inspired me to cook more and focus on quality ingredients. Strengthening my kitchen intuition has been key, it's how I know to roll leftovers into something new or I can see what I bought and come up with creative solutions.

    As a family, we always valued sitting down together for dinner but now it's done with so much less stress. I can be done with work and still make easy meals . . . amazing quality meals that are thrown together in a short time and we get to enjoy each other!"

    1 2 3 5
  • My Family is Closer Than Ever

    “Your suggestions are so priceless! Thank you for such valuable content. My family is closer than ever, thanks to you!”

  • BRAVO! I'm in!

    “[Caterina is], in 5 steps, hitting all the major points of what works in generational connection across all cultures. Families don’t just happen, they are grown and this is the sweet and lasting way to do that. Bravo and I’m IN!”

  • A Real Game Changer

    "We have made a lot of progress over here under your care. We are now all eating from the same “pot” which I was surprised how much my kids loved. They were so excited when I put the food in the middle of the table. They asked for it the next day, Can we do that special fancy dinner thing where we have a feast? It really is such a better ritual—passing the food around and all sharing from the same platter, a real game changer."

  • Accidental Weight Loss!

    “I don't know if I told you, but I accidentally lost about 8 lbs after cutting out most semi-processed foods!"

Studio One44
linkedin facebook pinterest youtube rss twitter instagram facebook-blank rss-blank linkedin-blank pinterest youtube twitter instagram