Oven Baked Eggplant Parmesan {Lightened Up}
This Lightened Up Oven Baked Eggplant Parmesan is made with 6 simple main ingredients, no deep-frying, and can be made Gluten-Free. It makes perfect meal prep for the week and a delicious side dish for your family dinner.
An eggplant parm with marinara sauce and cheese is usually associated with a heavy meal. But this Oven Baked Eggplant Parmesan is lightened up with just a few simple swaps. It gives the perfect taste of our favorite comfort food without the frying.
This recipe will not be the same as a real traditional eggplant parmesan. But I have given it a SKS twist to make it simpler and lighter.
Why I love this Oven Baked Eggplant Parm
I absolutely love this Oven Baked Eggplant Parmesan because it is so simple and can be paired with almost anything to make for an amazing meal.
Eggplants are one of those vegetables that could soak up all the flavors from the ingredients that are cooked together.
I love it when the cooked eggplants get tender and soft in the middle, but still a little crispy on the outside.
Smothered in my favorite marinara sauce.
More importantly, all the ingredients you need for this eggplant parm recipe are very accessible in any grocery store.
Or you probably already have all of these ingredients sitting in your pantry, which makes this recipe effortless to make on the fly or an easy dish to plan for later in the week.
Tips to Make the Best Oven Baked Eggplant Parmesan
1. Do you need to peel the Eggplant before Cooking?
It depends on the eggplants you purchase from the grocery store.
Some eggplants that are more mature have tougher skin which can be a bit rough even after cooking. So peeling the skin will improve the taste.
On the other hand, some “younger” eggplants have very thin and soft skin which basically melt in your mouth after cooking. And it adds additional texture and flavor to the dish.
2. Slice the eggplant Thin
Slice the eggplants thin so the appearance of the skin will not make a big difference. And it gets to layer in more flavors and sauce!
3. HOW TO COOK EGGPLANT PARMESAN WITHOUT GETTING SOGGY
Eggplant Parmesan can be so delicious, but sometimes it can come out soggy and nowhere near what was expected!
The trick? Bread the eggplants with breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese and oven-bake it first in high temperature.
Yes! Bake the eggplant in the oven before adding the marinara sauce.
It might be one extra step in the recipe, but it makes a huge difference and you will appreciate taking the time to make this Eggplant Parmesan the best you’ve ever had!
4. WHAT CAN I PAIR WITH THIS BAKED EGGPLANT PARMESAN?
There are SO many options that you can pair with this Oven Baked Eggplant Parmesan.
If you want to gear towards healthier options, try these Italian Meatballs to complete your meal. Roasted Chicken is always good with a little red sauce, or even some spaghetti sauce or Banza Chickpea Pasta!
5. How to store Baked Eggplant Parm
Once the baked eggplant parm has cooled down completely, store in an air-tight container for up to 3 -4 days.
So all you need is to let it cool, pop the lid on, and then fridge it goes.
What are your favorites to pair with a baked Eggplant Parmesan? Share with us in the comments below.
Get the recipe:Lightened Up Eggplant Parmesan {Oven Baked}
Ingredients
- 1 large eggplant *, cut into thin rounds
- 3/4 cup bread crumbs **
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 3/4 cup finely grated parmesan cheese, divided *
- 1 cup shredded mozerella cheese, *
- 2 tbsp Italian Seasoning
- Salt Pepper to Taste
- 16 oz. Marinara Sauce
- 1/4 cup Fresh basil, Optional
Equipment
- 8-inch Square Baking Dish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Slice eggplants into thin rounds
- In a medium shallow dish, beat egg and olive oil together.
- In a separate dish, whisk together breadcrumbs, half of the parmeseancheese Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
- Dip eggplant rounds in the egg wash, then thoroughly coat them with the breadcrumb mix.
- Place the eggplants on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes until slightly browned on the outside.
- Coat an 8 X 8 glass baking dish with cooking spray. Add a think layer of marinara sauce to the bottom. Then add a layer of the baked eggplant. Sprinkle with shredded mozerella cheese. Add a layer of red sauce, and half of the fresh basil (if desired). Then add another layer of eggplant, more sauce, and then sprinkle the remaining cheese and basil (if using) on top. Repeat until all the eggplants are layered.
- Once finished layering, top with the rest of the red sauce, parmsean cheese and mozerella cheese.
- Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.
- Remove foil and let cheese brown for 5 minutes at the end (optional)
- Serve with more fresh basil.
Notes
- * Use more cheese to your taste.
- ** You can use Panko (Japanese breadcrumbs is one of my favorites), Italian Seasoned breadcrumbs (if using, omit the italian seasoning in the recipe), or use gluten-free rice breadcrumbs to suit dietary restrictions
The Nutrition Facts above are specific to the ingredients I chose to use for this recipe, which may vary.
This is sooo good and easy. I never thought chicken parmesan would be so easy. I served mine on top of chickpea spaghetti noodles.
So easy and delicious! Made this for my dinner for the week but can’t wait to make it again for company
Hi Liz,
We are SO happy you love this dish! Hope your guests love it as much as we do when you make it for them <3
Happy Cooking!!
Constance
Just put this in the oven. Used almond flour for keto friendly. Totally an experiment. Fingers crossed
Benita, how did it turn out!? Next time, you could try omitting breading all together for a low-carb option. It will turn out delicious, I promise!
I made this with my partner tonight for dinner and I kid you not, he literally said “THIS IS SO GOOD.” like five times throughout the night. It is extremely easy and cheap to make so I am so glad I can add this to my “weekday night dinners” list. I was pleasantly surprised by how flavorful the eggplants tasted and it paired perfectly with Trader Joe’s cheese/garlic bread sticks! Thank you, Shuang :).
I’ve only tried a few of Shuangy’s recipes but every one has been amazing! These were so flavorful and I’ve always struggled with eggplant parm at home but I will officially be making this recipe moving forward! So delicious!! Thank you!