Every August, my eggplants seem to mock me. Just when I think I’ve been keeping up with the harvest, I’ll push aside some leaves and find these massive, glossy purple beauties hiding underneath. My daughter always jokes that they look like they belong in a fairy tale, and honestly, some of them are big enough to feed a small village.

That’s when I turn to eggplant parmesan. This isn’t a weeknight dinner – it’s a project, the kind of cooking that takes up most of your afternoon and fills the house with the most incredible smells. But when you’re dealing with baseball bat-sized eggplants from the garden, you need a recipe that can handle the volume.

The key to great eggplant parm is patience, especially with that first step of salting the eggplant. I used to skip this part because it seemed fussy, but trust me, those 45 minutes of waiting are worth it. The salt draws out the bitter juices and helps the eggplant hold its shape during cooking instead of turning into mush.

I’ve learned that baking the breaded eggplant instead of frying it makes the whole process much more manageable. You can get a whole batch done at once without standing over a skillet, and honestly, the texture is just as good. The panko gives you that crispy coating everyone wants, and adding Parmesan to the breadcrumbs brings extra flavor.

The ricotta filling is where you can really make this dish your own. I always add torn basil from my herb garden – those big, fragrant leaves that taste like summer itself. The red pepper flakes give just enough heat to balance all that cheese, and the fresh mozzarella melts into these gorgeous, stretchy strings that make everyone at the table very happy.

This recipe serves ten, which might sound like overkill, but eggplant parm actually improves overnight. The flavors meld together, and reheated slices make incredible lunches for days. Plus, when your garden is producing those monster eggplants, you might as well embrace the abundance.

Eggplant Parmesan

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Layers of crispy baked eggplant, creamy ricotta filling, and melted cheese come together in this crowd-pleasing comfort dish that’s perfect for using up your garden’s oversized harvest.

• Author: Addie Gundry
• Prep Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
• Total Time: 2 hours 25 minutes
• Yield: Serves 10
• Category: Entrées

Ingredients

• Eggplant
  • 2 (1-pound) eggplants, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
  • Kosher salt
  • 2 large eggs, beaten
  • 2 cups panko bread crumbs
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• Filling
  • 1 (15-ounce) container part-skim ricotta cheese
  • 1/2 cup torn basil leaves
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• For Layering
  • 1 (24-ounce) jar pasta sauce
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced
  • 3/4 cup shredded provolone cheese

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Instructions

1. For the eggplant: Place the eggplant slices on a paper towel-lined baking sheet. Liberally sprinkle the slices with kosher salt and let sit for 45 minutes. The eggplant will release its bitter liquid. Rinse the salt off of the eggplant slices and pat dry thoroughly.
2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
3. Combine the eggs and 1 tablespoon water in a shallow dish. Combine the panko and Parmesan in another shallow dish.
4. Dip the eggplant slices in the egg mixture, then the panko mixture. Place 1 inch apart on a baking sheet. Spray each slice lightly with cooking spray. Bake for 15 minutes, flip the eggplant over and bake for an additional 15 minutes, until golden.
5. To make the filling: While the eggplant is baking, combine the first 7 ingredients in a medium
6. Lightly coat a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with cooking Spoon 1/2 cup pasta sauce in the bottom of the baking dish. Layer half of the eggplant over the sauce and sprinkle with 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt. Top with ¾ cup sauce. Spread half of the ricotta mixture over the sauce and top with one-third of the mozzarella and one-quarter of the provolone. Arrange the remaining eggplant over the cheese, sprinkle with the remaining salt, and top with 3/4 cup sauce. Spread the remaining ricotta over the sauce and top with half of the remaining mozzarella and one-third of the remaining provolone. Spread 1 cup sauce over the top.
7. Cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes. Remove the foil and top with the remaining mozzarella and provolone. Bake for 10 minutes until the cheeses are melted. Serve.

Notes

• VARIATIONS: Experiment with different cheeses in the filling, such as fontina, Italian blend, or cream cheese.

If you make this Eggplant Parmesan recipe, let me know what you think!