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Eggplant Parmesan

A delicious meat-free version of lasagna that even satisfies avid meat-eaters!
Prep Time25 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: eggplant, vegetarian
Servings: -3
Calories: 372kcal

Equipment

  • baking sheet
  • Approx. 9 x 13in baking sheet

Ingredients

  • 3 eggplants
  • 2 eggs or 1/4 cup water
  • 2 cups panko bread crumbs
  • 6 cups tomato or spaghetti sauce
  • 1 16 oz bag mozzarella cheese or vegan alternative shredded
  • 1/4 cup parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast
  • 1 tsp dried basil

Instructions

  • First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • To prepare the eggplants, cut them into rounds of about 1/4 - 1/2 inch thickness and set them aside. Prepare a bowl with the water or eggs in it, and another bowl with the panko bread crumbs in it. Dip each slice of eggplant into the water and then into the panko until it is fully covered by bread crumbs. Line up the coated slices on your baking sheet in one layer and once all the eggplant is coated, go ahead and put this in the oven for 5 minutes. Once those five minutes are over, take the eggplant out, flip them using kitchen tongs or your hands, and put. them back in the oven for another 5 minutes. The eggplant should be tender once baked.
  • In the 9 x13 in dish, start by spreading about 1/3 of the spaghetti or tomato sauce mixture on the bottom of the dish. Spread it across the dish using a spoon or spatula and place a layer of the cooked eggplant slices on top of that. Coat the eggplant with 1/3 of the mozzarella and parmesan cheese, and then continue this process of layering until all your ingredients are gone. I recommend to finish off with the cheese as the top layer and then you can sprinkle on the dried basil and leftover panko crumbs on top.
  • Place the dish into the oven for 35 min or until the top is golden brown and the cheese is completely melted all throughout. Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes and the enjoy!

Notes

  • Just a quick tip for the panko bread crumbs: if you have any stale bread lying around or just don't have bread crumbs, go ahead and make them yourself by grinding bread up in a food processor.
  • To check the doneness for the eggplant, insert a fork into one the fattest slices of eggplant on the baking sheet towards the center of the sheet. The fork should slide easily into and out of the eggplant if it is fully cooked and tender.