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Eggplant Parmesan is a long-standing Italian classic, and it’s easy to see why. It’s delicious! Our stuffed version here brings you the same flavors without any breading or frying required. It’s a bit more filling and hearty than the eggplant parm you might be used to, but it’s every bit as tasty. (And easy enough for a busy weeknight!)
See, in this instance, you’re not slicing and breading eggplant, you’re cutting an eggplant in half, scooping out the flesh and then roasting the eggplant half until it’s fairly tender. The eggplant sits on a bed of marinara…
… and gets stuffed with a mixture of the eggplant you scooped out and sauteed with some onion, garlic, basil, marinara, and cheese. It’s savory and herby, it’s just cheesy enough, and it’s delicious.
Those classic crispy breadcrumbs show up in the form of a topping here (along with a nice little blanket of mozzarella) and everything bakes until it’s bubbly and golden brown. So you still get tender eggplant, zesty marinara, some melty mozzarella, and the crisp bite of breadcrumbs. Everything you could want, right?
Stuffed Eggplant Parmesan
Ingredients
- 2 medium eggplants
- olive oil, as needed
- 1/4 cup Panko breadcrumbs
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups marinara sauce, divided
- 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
- 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, grated and divided
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated and divided
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Cut each eggplant in half lengthwise and scoop out the insides, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edge. Chop the eggplant you removed and set aside.
- Place eggplant halves in a baking pan, flesh side up. Rub each eggplant half with about 1 tablespoon of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast until tender, about 30 minutes.
- Toss breadcrumbs with 1 teaspoon of olive oil and a pinch of salt and set aside.
- Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook until soft, 4-5 minutes. Add chopped eggplant, garlic, and season with salt and pepper. Cook until eggplant is tender, 7-9 minutes. Stir in 1 cup of the marinara and let cook 2 minutes.
- Remove from heat, and stir in the basil, 1 cup of the mozzarella, and 1/4 cup of the Parmesan.
- Remove baking dish from oven and heat broiler to high.
- Remove eggplant from baking dish and set aside.
- Pour remaining marinara into baking dish and return eggplant halves to baking dish. Spoon filling into eggplant halves and top with remaining cheese and breadcrumb mixture.
- Boil until cheese has melted and breadcrumbs are brown, 2-4 minutes. Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Smack of Flavor.