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!

Top with fresh basil, or not

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.

Green glass olive oil bottle with a spout

Olive Oil Lovers online olive oil store

You can find an easy tomato sauce recipe here.