Fashionable Foods

A Fresh Twist on Tradition

Easy Eggplant Parmesan

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Crispy fried eggplant slices are topped with an easy homemade tomato sauce and fresh mozzarella. Just a few minutes in the oven, a sprinkle of basil and you’re ready to dig in! {This recipe is gluten-free and vegetarian!}Eggplant Parmesan
While everyone else out there is decorating for fall and gathering pumpkins and apples for baking, I’m over here burning pineapple mango candles and eating corn with a side of tomatoes. I’m also sweating. It’s 87º out and the last thing on my mind is fall.

If you’re in fall mode, my blog isn’t the place for you for at least another week. I’m still in complete summer mode and I’m hanging onto my sweet corn and juicy tomatoes for dear life. So, expect a few more summer recipes from me! Well, let’s call them summer-to-fall transition recipes. Fresh produce with a comforting twist. How does that sound?

EggplantI’ve been receiving eggplant all throughout August in my CSA. Next weeks bag has it as well, so take that fall! Summer produce is still going strong. 

Anyway…

My favorite way to have eggplant is fried. I mean, who doesn’t love fried anything? If you say you don’t, you’re lying. LYING!

Ok, let’s get serious now. 

When I first decided to make eggplant parmesan I ended up eating most of the eggplant just dipped into the tomato sauce. So, I didn’t have enough to get photos to share with you all. Luckily, more eggplant made its way to me and I made it again. This time I restrained myself from eating it all. 

Eggplant ParmI like to keep things really simple with my eggplant parm. A lot of eggplant parmesan that you find in restaurants is smothered in so much tomato sauce that it ends up being super soggy. I like my eggplant to be super crisp, with a light layer of tomato sauce and fresh mozzarella. By adding just a light layer of tomato sauce and cheese, the eggplant stays nice and crispy. If you like things saucy you can always serve extra sauce on the side. 

Though this recipe has a lot of steps, it’s really easy. Plus, you can do all of the prep ahead of time. Once you bread the eggplant, you’ll need to refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes. This ensures that the coating really adheres to the eggplant, meaning it won’t come off when you fry them. 

If you want to make this really easy, you can use a jarred marinara sauce. I prefer to make my own from either fresh tomatoes or San Marzano tomatoes that you can find in a carton. Cook it down with aromatics and wine and you’ve got yourself a really tasty tomato sauce!

If you’re still holding on to the last days of summer, this is the recipe for you. Fresh, yet comforting – it’s the perfect summer-to-fall transition recipe!

Easy Eggplant Parmesan

Easy Eggplant Parmesan
Serves 4
Crispy fried eggplant slices are topped with an easy homemade tomato sauce and fresh mozzarella. Just a few minutes in the oven, a sprinkle of basil and you’re ready to dig in! {This recipe is gluten-free and vegetarian!}
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Prep Time
30 min
Cook Time
30 min
Total Time
1 hr
Prep Time
30 min
Cook Time
30 min
Total Time
1 hr
For the Tomato Sauce
  1. Olive Oil
  2. 1 Small Onion, finely chopped
  3. 2 Cloves Garlic, finely minced
  4. Salt & Pepper
  5. 3 Cups Crushed Tomatoes
  6. ½ Cup Pinot Noir Wine (or other dry red wine)
  7. Handful Fresh Basil Leaves, roughly chopped
For the Fried Eggplant
  1. 1 Medium-Sized Eggplant, sliced into ¼- ½ inch thick slices
  2. ¾ Cup All Purpose Gluten-Free Flour*
  3. 2 Eggs, beaten with 1 tablespoon water
  4. Salt & Pepper
  5. 1 Cup Seasoned Gluten-Free Breadcrumbs*
  6. Olive Oil or Coconut Oil, for frying
For Assembling
  1. 1 Ball Fresh Mozzarella, grated or torn
  2. Fresh Basil, thinly sliced, for garnish
For the Tomato Sauce
  1. Add a few drizzles of olive oil to a medium pot and heat it over high heat. Add in the onion and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cook the mixture for about 2 minutes or until the onions soften and the garlic is fragrant. Add in the crushed tomatoes and wine and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and partially cover the pot Allow the sauce to simmer for 3o minutes or until it becomes nice and thick.
For the Fried Eggplant
  1. Lay out 3 pie dishes or any other shallow dish. Add flour to one, the eggs to another, and the breadcrumbs to the third. Season the flour and eggs generously with salt and pepper.
  2. Starting with the flour, coat a slice of eggplant into the flour, then into the egg, and then into the breadcrumbs. Repeat with the remaining pieces of eggplant until all are coated. Lay the coated slices evenly on a baking sheet and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 8 hours.
  3. Heat a large skillet over high heat and add enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Once the oil is very hot, add some eggplant slices, being careful not to overcrowd the pan.
  4. Cook the eggplant for about 1-2 minutes per side or until deep golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to drain and cool. Repeat with remaining eggplant.
To Assemble
  1. Preheat the oven to 475º.
  2. Arrange the eggplant slices on a baking sheet and top each with a spoonful of tomato sauce. Sprinkle the tops evenly with cheese.
  3. Bake the eggplant for about 5 minutes or until the cheese is just melted. You don’t want the cheese to brown or it will dry out.
  4. Serve the eggplant topped with fresh basil.
Notes
  1. *If you don't eat gluten-free, simply use regular all purpose flour and regular seasoned bread crumbs.
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Lovely comments

    • So far I only have a pumpkin out, but plan on decorating next weekend. I have to dig my decorations out first 😉 The heat is killing my fall spirit! I think it’s supposed to cool down next week though, so then I’ll probably be into it. Let me know what you think if you try it! It’s always been one of my favorites to order at a restaurant, but now I love making my own. Thanks Gayle!

      Reply

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