This is one of Chef Scott Tacinelli’s favorite dishes—and it’s even incredible cold, he says. Garlicky marinara and gooey cheeses are integral to this 17-layer masterpiece, but they’re spread thin enough to allow the crisp eggplant cutlets to really shine. Don’t be intimidated: the components require some advance prep, but the assembly is easy (and fun)!
| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 2 hr 45 min |
| Active: | 1 hr 10 min |
| Yield: | 8 servings |
| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 2 hr 45 min |
| Active: | 1 hr 10 min |
| Yield: | 8 servings |
Ingredients
- 4 cloves garlic, large, about ½ head of garlic
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes (optional)
- 2 28-oz cans whole peeled tomatoes, puréed, preferably San Marzano DOP
- sugar
- 2 sprigs basil
- 2 cups Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs, preferably Progresso brand
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
- 1/3 cup finely grated Pecorino, preferably Pecorino Toscano
- kosher salt
- 5 large eggs
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 pounds Italian eggplants, 4 to 6 small eggplants
- Breading Mixture, from Step 2
- 1 1/3 cups extra-virgin olive oil, for frying, plus more as needed
- 2 cups Marinara Sauce, plus additional for serving, from Step 1
- Eggplant Cutlets, from Step 5
- 3/4 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
- 1/4 cup finely grated Pecorino, preferably Pecorino Toscano
- 1 1/2 cups shredded whole-milk mozzarella cheese
- 1 bunch basil leaves, divided, about 30 leaves
Instructions
- Marinara Sauce: Trim root ends of the garlic cloves, then smash with the flat side of a knife. Peel off skins and set aside. In a 4-quart Dutch oven over high heat, add oil, followed by garlic. When the garlic begins to sizzle, add a pinch of salt. Stir and toast the garlic until deep golden brown, 3–4 minutes. Add red pepper flakes (optional, for heat), reduce temperature to low, and add tomatoes. Increase heat to medium, add two pinches of salt and two pinches of sugar, and bring sauce to a simmer, 10–12 minutes. When simmering, taste and adjust for seasoning. Turn off heat.In a large bowl, add two large sprigs of basil, then pour the sauce over the basil. Set aside to steep while preparing the eggplant. (Makes 2 quarts. Once cool, remove and discard basil; store in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 4–5 days or in the freezer up to 3 months.)
- Breading Mixture: In a large bowl, add seasoned breadcrumbs, oregano, Parmigiano-Reggiano, Pecorino, and a big pinch of salt. Stir to mix well and set aside. In another large bowl, whisk eggs; season with a generous amount of black pepper and a few pinches of salt. Add flour to a large bowl.
- Prepare eggplant: Use a vegetable peeler to peel the eggplant; discard peel. Cut away the stem ends and discard. Use a mandoline to slice eggplant lengthwise into ⅛-inch thick slices; for safety, make the last few slices with a chef’s knife.
- Arrange bowls side by side for dredging: flour, eggs, and breading mixture. First dredge each eggplant slice in flour, shaking off excess. Then coat with the beaten egg, followed by the breading mixture. Set breaded eggplant on a rack fitted over a baking sheet until ready to fry.
- Fry eggplant cutlets: In a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, add ⅓ cup oil. (Adjust amount as needed to have about ¼ inch of oil in the pan.) Test the oil’s temperature by adding a few drops of water: if the water sizzles right away, the oil is ready for frying. Gently lay the eggplant into the oil facing away from you to avoid getting splattered. Let fry undisturbed, about 2 minutes, adjusting heat to maintain the temperature.Once the first side of the eggplant is golden brown, use tongs to gently flip (facing away from you again) and fry the other side until golden brown and delicious—or “GBD,” as Chef Tacinelli puts it— about 1 more minute. As they finish frying, arrange eggplant cutlets in an even layer to drain on a baking sheet lined with paper towels. (Once the sheet pan is full, cover with more paper towels and place freshly fried eggplant on top.) Fry remaining eggplant, adding more oil as needed and keeping the temperature steady.
- Assembly: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Remove basil and garlic cloves from tomato sauce and discard. In another bowl, combine the Parmigiano-Reggiano and Pecorino cheeses.Spread 1 cup sauce across the bottom of the baking dish. Arrange eggplant cutlets in a single even layer, tearing some into smaller pieces as necessary to fill the gaps. Press the eggplant layer gently into the sauce. (Do this each time you add an eggplant layer.) Next, spread ⅓ cup sauce over the eggplant, followed by ¼ cup Parmigiano-Pecorino mixture. In even layers, add eggplant, ⅓ cup sauce, ¼ cup Parmigiano-Pecorino, ¾ cup mozzarella, and half of the basil leaves. Then add another layer of eggplant, sauce, and Parmigiano-Pecorino. Finally, layer the remaining eggplant, sauce, Parmigiano-Pecorino, basil, and mozzarella. Cover with foil and bake, 45 minutes. (Here are the layers once more, from the bottom up: 1 C sauce, eggplant, ⅓ C sauce, ¼ C Parmigiano-Pecorino, eggplant, ⅓ C sauce, ¼ C Parmigiano-Pecorino, ¾ C mozzarella, half the basil leaves, eggplant, ⅓ C sauce, ¼ C Parmigiano-Pecorino, remaining eggplant, ⅓ C sauce, ¼ C Parmigiano-Pecorino, remaining basil, ¾ C mozzarella.)
- After 45 minutes, remove Eggplant Parmesan from oven and remove foil. Bake another 10 minutes, uncovered, until golden brown and bubbly. Let rest 20-30 minutes, then cut into squares with a chef’s knife and plate with a spatula. Chef Tacinelli likes to add a ladle of hot marinara just before serving.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 24 servings |
| Calories | 327 |
| Total Fat | 23 g |
| Saturated Fat | 7 g |
| Carbohydrates | 19 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 3 g |
| Sugar | 6 g |
| Protein | 11 g |
| Cholesterol | 62 mg |
| Sodium | 443 mg |
| Serving Size | 1 of 24 servings |
| Calories | 327 |
| Total Fat | 23 g |
| Saturated Fat | 7 g |
| Carbohydrates | 19 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 3 g |
| Sugar | 6 g |
| Protein | 11 g |
| Cholesterol | 62 mg |
| Sodium | 443 mg |
Reviews
This is beyond all expectations. It is a lot of prep work but entirely worth it. I halved the recipe and made 4 layers in an 8×8 dish. It was more than enough for two people. My husband said he couldn’t believe there was no meat in it. I will definitely make this again for company who like eggplant.
Does anyone know what size baking dish to use?
It took a long time to make but was outstanding. Because of the time involved, I would only make it again for a special occasion. Wondering if you could freeze it and cook in the oven later?
Delicious recipe; time consuming to fry the eggplant but well worth it; made for dinner party with friends and all raved about the dish.
It was hit in our house! Sure to make it again. Taking the same steps we made a potato version (also) instead of eggplant as one of our boys does not like eggplant .. that was a hit too! Loved the simple but tasty sauce. Splurged on the San Marzano tomatoes and it was worth it.
Made this 9-2020 Awesome . A vert pretty display of layers and Great taste. It ca me out just like the picture
I don’t take the time to write many reviews but I had to stop and write this one. This is the best marinara sauce ever so get the recommended tomatoes. This alone is worth the price of admission. But wait, the eggplant Parmesan is the bomb. Shared with a neighbor who will let you know when a dish is not good and she lovvveeed this. Yeah, it’s time consuming by don’t hesitate. Organization is key. Watching the video will help for those of you who are visual. Absolutely delish. Marinara sauce is good for other dishes too.
This dish was absolutely delicious. Time consuming, but well worth it. I put my egg plant in the air fryer with just a light spray of olive oil and they came out perfectly.
This recipe is guest worthy. Very delicious and seasoned just right. Great to make a large batch and freeze 3 portions for later.
Looks crazy complicated and time consuming, but looks very good.