With eggplant in season, take advantage of the period and prepare this classic dish that is always a crowd pleaser: eggplant parmesan otherwise known as parmigiana di melanzane, or melanzane alla parmigiana or simply: parmigiana. You should look for melanzane that are firm with shiny, taut skin. The stem should be unwithered and green.
The origins of eggplant parmesan are uncertain, but the general thought is that it originated in Sicily or the Naples area. Others suggest it comes from Parma (the area where Parmigiano Reggiano is produced). The first written recipe for eggplant parmesean was published by Vincenzo Corrago, a chef to wealthy Neapolitan families in the 18th century.
As I have mentioned on numerous occasions, I like to cook easy recipes and this one is no exception, but I must admit, it IS time consuming. So put on your favorite Italian tunes and enjoy a relaxed afternoon preparing this super satisfying dish.
INGREDIENTS
5 cups of marinara sauce (see recipe here)
3 medium eggplants, (about 2 ½ – 3 pounds)
1 tablespoon salt
4 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 – 3 cups breadcrumbs
1 cup vegetable oil, (more if needed)
2 cups parmesean cheese grated
1 pound grated mozzarella cheese
DIRECTIONS
1. Prepare tomato sauce.
2. While tomato sauce is cooking, cut the stems and ends from each eggplant. Cut the eggplant in ½ inch round slices.
3. Place eggplant in colander and sprinkle with salt. Place colander in sink and allow to drain for about 45 minutes. (This step remove any bitterness from the eggplant). Rinse eggplant and dry.
4. In a wide and shallow bowl, whisk eggs. In another wide and shallow bowl, pour in breadcrumbs, add salt to bed crumbs and mix.
5. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
6. Dredge eggplant slices in eggs, then into breadcrumbs making sure to coat evenly.
7. Pour cooking oil into large skillet and heat over medium heat. Once oil is heated, add eggplant slices and cook until golden brown on both sides – about 7 minutes. Remove cooked eggplant to a plate lined with paper towel and repeat until all the eggplant has been cooked. Pay attention to the heat of the oil to make sure it does not get too hot, otherwise, you may burn your eggplant. Eggplant soaks up a lot of oil, be careful not to overcook otherwise you will get soggy eggplant. Also add more oil as necessary.
8. After all the eggplant has been cooked, assemble the ingredients in the baking dish as follows. Add enough tomato sauce to cover the bottom of a 9”x13” baking dish. Add a layer of eggplant, then a layer of tomato sauce, then sprinkle a layer of parmesan cheese, then add a layer of mozzarella cheese. Repeat the layering process twice (eggplant, sauce, parmesan, mozzarella).
9. Cover the baking dish with foil very loosely making sure not to touch the top layer of cheese and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 15-20 minutes or until the cheese has a golden brown color.
10. Let cool for 20 minutes, cut and serve.
Italy Translated 
Looks delicious!
Thank you!!!
Yum! I will be making this soon!
YAY Kath…let me know how it turns out…hopefully we will see you on Tuesday for some yummy martinis…
Looking at these pictures makes me wish I wasn’t allergic to eggplant. Looks delicious!
Thanks Nancy!!! Hope you are doing well.
This looks delicious! Thank you for sharing the recipe 🙂
Thanks for your kind comment!
I don’t like eggplant but this looks so good!!
Hi Sonia…thank you!!!
One of my favorite dishes! But I don’t dredge the eggplant in egg and bread crumbles, only in flour… much lighter!
Hi! Yes! LOTS of variations! I have seen some recipes with nothing coating the eggplant…just fried….I guess you can’t go wrong with fried eggplant….no matter how it is prepared. 🙂
I love this dish, but I have never had much success making it…I will try it your way, thank you.
Thanks Debra…let me know how it goes. this is a pretty easy recipe…just super time consuming. 😦
Nice version- rich, tall and inviting.
Hi Francesca! Thank you for your comment and stopping by.
Perfection! You make it look so neat and tidy. Can’t say my prep looks like that when I make it 😉
LYN! AS ALWAYS we are thinking alike….I swear I thought about making this post a reality post…showing things the way they REALLY look when I cook. I plan to do that soon, cause these pics are not at all a reflection of what is really going on. 🙂
I love eggplants, so I will definitely try your recipe, Diana. Thank you.
Thank you!! Let me know how it turns out!
Mmmmmm…..one of my favorite dishes. I love your recipe Diana. You can count on it…i’m making a pan for me alone:) oh, maybe i’ll let my hubby in on a plate.
Hi Susan! You are so funny! Thanks for stopping by!
Ohhh winter comfort food…. yum!!
Hi Jess! Could not agree more. Thanks for stopping by!
Yummy! I’m bookmarking this recipe & need to make it ASAP! Great pics! 🙂
This recipe is now bookmarked.. hmmm it looks delicious !
YAY – – thanks! Let me know how it turns out if you make it…..
That does look good, Diana!
Thanks Graham!
It reminded me of having fried aubergine slices served with miel de caña (molasses) in Andalucía.
Oh holy moses that sounds yum….gotta go research that and see how to make it!
Mmmmh, what more can I say. This just looks delicious!!!
Hi Hanne! Thank you! Hope all is going well.
Looks delicious and thanks so much for the tip about applying the salt to remove bitterness!
Thanks for stopping by Sue….yes….the salt thing works like a charm. Have a good week.
Yum yum. Love parmigiana but haven’t made it in a long time. We make it with zucchine, or—my favourite version-with a combination of melanzane and zucchine. This is probably because zucchine are so plentiful in Puglia they are practically given away! i’ll have to make some soon. Ciao, Cristina
Ohhhhh Cristina…with zucchine….sounds delicious!
This is a favorite dish of my wife. She tastes it in every country. It is simple, but only Italians can do it delicious.
Thank you, Diana.
Hi Victor! Thanks for stopping by. I am right there with your wife….difficult to go wrong with cheese, eggplant and sugo! 🙂
The only thing I am finding with most of the eggplant parmigiana recipes is the eggplant slices are too thick. My great great Italian grandmother used to cut the slices paper thin (1/4 to 1/8 inch). Her dish was heavenly. People who did not like eggplant loved it.