There are many ways to cook eggplant parmesan, but the towering version is a truly impressive, yet simple dish that will take center stage at any dinner. Made with fresh eggplant slices breaded in seasoned flour then pan-fried until golden brown, eggplant parmesan towers are stacked and layered with homemade marinara sauce, melted cheese, and creamy ricotta. Not only does this dish look fantastic, but each bite offers a delightful combination of textures and flavors. If you're looking for a delicious and visually stunning dish to wow your guests, eggplant parmesan towers are the perfect choice.
Here are our top 6 tried and tested recipes!
EGGPLANT PARMESAN STACKS
Baked eggplant, stacked up with tomato sauce and cheese. These towers of eggplant parmigiana make a festive appetizer, lunch or dinner.
Provided by Lisa
Categories Dinner
Time 1h30m
Number Of Ingredients 21
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 375ºF. Lightly oil a baking sheet or jellyroll pan. Mix Panko with basil and 1/2 teaspoon salt and spread onto a plate. Pour milk into a shallow bowl. Dip each eggplant slice into milk and turn to coat. Shake off excess. Press an eggplant slice down into the breadcrumbs. Flip and press the other side in to help the crumbs adhere. Arrange breaded eggplant on lightly oiled baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of the slices. Sprinkle eggplant slices with a little salt (1 teaspoon or so) and a few grinds of fresh pepper. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes. Flip slices and bake for another 15 minutes until the eggplant is softened and lightly browned in spots. Remove tray from oven and let eggplant cool for a few minutes so you can handle it. (leave oven set at 375ºF)
- While the eggplant is baking, make the sauce: heat olive oil in a large cooking pot or dutch oven oven medium heat. Add chopped onion and cook for about 8 minutes until very soft and starting to brown. Stir in dried basil, salt, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste and honey. Cook sauce at a simmer, partially covered, for 20 minutes. Add minced garlic (if using) and simmer 10 minutes longer. Remove from heat. The sauce will be thick.
- Line a jellyroll pan with parchment paper. Divide the total number of eggplant slices by 3 and that's how many stacks you'll have. You should have enough for 8-9 stacks. Arrange the 8 (or 9) largest eggplant rounds on the prepared parchment-line pan. Top each round with two tablespoon of tomato sauce, a teaspoon of parmesan, 2 tablespoons of mozzarella, and a sprinkle of slivered basil (don't add basil to the top of the stacks) Repeat with two more layers, using the larger slices for the middle layer and the smaller ones for the top. Bake for 20 minutes. Serve hot.
- Garnish each stack with a sprinkle of slivered basil.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 405 calories, Sugar 16.9 g, Sodium 1115.2 mg, Fat 16.6 g, SaturatedFat 7.9 g, TransFat 0 g, Carbohydrate 43.4 g, Fiber 7.9 g, Protein 23.8 g, Cholesterol 42.4 mg
BAKED-EGGPLANT PARMESAN
Choose firm, smooth eggplants. We bake rather than fry ours for less mess and less fat.
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Food & Cooking Main Dish Recipes Casserole Recipes
Time 1h30m
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Brush 2 baking sheets with oil; set aside. In a wide, shallow bowl, whisk together eggs and 2 tablespoons water. In another bowl, combine breadcrumbs, 3/4 cup Parmesan, oregano, and basil; season with salt and pepper.
- Dip eggplant slices in egg mixture, letting excess drip off, then dredge in breadcrumb mixture, coating well; place on baking sheets. Bake until golden brown on bottom, 20 to 25 minutes. Turn slices; continue baking until browned on other side, 20 to 25 minutes more. Remove from oven; raise oven heat to 400 degrees.
- Spread 2 cups sauce in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Arrange half the eggplant in dish; cover with 2 cups sauce, then 1/2 cup mozzarella. Repeat with remaining eggplant, sauce, and mozzarella; sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan. Bake until sauce is bubbling and cheese is melted, 15 to 20 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 279 g, Fat 11 g, Fiber 5 g, Protein 15 g
THE BEST EGGPLANT PARMESAN RECIPE BY TASTY
Here's what you need: medium eggplants, coarse salt, all-purpose flour, dried oregano, dried basil, garlic powder, pepper, vegetable oil, marinara sauce, fresh basil, low-moisture mozzarella, shredded parmesan cheese, fresh mozzarella cheese
Provided by Gwenaelle Le Cochennec
Categories Dinner
Yield 4 servings
Number Of Ingredients 13
Steps:
- Cut each eggplant into about ½-inch (1-cm) thick round slices.
- Arrange the slices in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with paper towels.
- Sprinkle the eggplant with half of the coarse salt. Flip the slices over and sprinkle with the rest of the salt.
- Put another baking sheet on top of the eggplant and place something heavy, like a cast-iron skillet, on the top baking sheet to help release moisture from the eggplant. Let sit for 30 minutes.
- Uncover the eggplant slices and pat dry with paper towels. Brush most of the salt from the eggplant with a paper towel, then transfer to a medium bowl. Set aside.
- In a separate medium bowl, combine the flour, oregano, basil, garlic powder, and pepper. Mix well.
- Heat the vegetable oil in a large frying pan until it reaches 375°F (190°C).
- Coat each eggplant slice in the flour mixture, shaking off any excess flour.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Fry the eggplant in batches until golden brown on both sides, 2-3 minutes per side. Drain on a paper towel-lined baking sheet and pat dry using more paper towels to absorb excess oil.
- Pour about 1 cup (260 g) of marinara sauce into a 2½-quart (2 L) baking dish and spread evenly to cover the bottom of the dish.
- Add about 8 eggplant slices (it's okay if they overlap) and cover with ½ cup (130 g) of marinara. Sprinkle with a third of the fresh basil, then top with about a third of the shredded mozzarella and Parmesan. Repeat to make 2 more layers. Finish with the fresh mozzarella cheese and a final sprinkling of Parmesan.
- Bake for 30 minutes, until the mozzarella is bubbling and golden brown.
- Let cool for 10 minutes, then serve garnished with fresh basil.
- Enjoy!
EGGPLANT PARMESAN STACKS
Everyone loves these stacks of eggplant layered with mozzarella and Parmesan cheese and tomato sauce.
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Food & Cooking Healthy Recipes Gluten-Free Recipes
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Season eggplant with salt. Heat 1 cup oil (about 1/4 inch) in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, so as to not crowd the skillet, fry eggplant rounds, turning once, until soft and pale golden, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels.
- Heat remaining 3 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic, and cook 20 seconds (do not let brown). Add tomatoes and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until tomatoes break down and are soft, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in oregano and basil. (Alternatively, stir oregano and basil into 1 1/4 cups Freezable Tomato Sauce Base.)
- Place 6 slices of eggplant on a rimmed baking sheet. Top each slice with 1 tablespoon sauce and a few pieces of mozzarella, and sprinkle with 2 teaspoons Parmesan. Repeat layering twice.
- Bake until heated through and cheese is bubbling, about 12 minutes. Serve immediately, garnished with oregano and Parmesan shavings.
CRISPY EGGPLANT PARMESAN STACKS
Eggplant rounds are breaded and baked, then stacked and layered with Ragu® Old World Style® Traditional Sauce and mozzarella cheese, then baked again until hot and cheese has melted.
Provided by RAGÚ®
Categories Trusted Brands: Recipes and Tips Ragu®
Time 1h
Yield 9
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
- Sprinkle both sides of eggplant rounds generously with salt; place on baking sheet for 15 minutes to draw out moisture. Use paper towels to blot moisture from each side of the eggplant slices. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.
- Whisk eggs in a shallow bowl. Place panko bread crumbs in a second bowl. Dip each side of the eggplant slices in the whisked eggs, then press into the panko crumbs to coat each side. Place slices on a cooling rack on a baking sheet.
- Spray the tops of eggplant generously with cooking spray. Bake 8 minutes in preheated oven. Turn each slice, and spray the other side with cooking spray. Bake an additional 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool slightly.
- Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees (175 degrees C).
- To make the stacks: Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place a large slice of eggplant on the parchment. Top with a spoonful of Ragu® Old World Style® Traditional Sauce and a slice of mozzarella. Place another slice of eggplant on the first; repeat the layering process until you have about 5 or 6 slices in a stack. Top with a generous layer of parmesan cheese.
- Bake stacks until the cheese has melted, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes. Serve warm.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 397 calories, Carbohydrate 49.9 g, Cholesterol 122.3 mg, Fat 16 g, Fiber 9.9 g, Protein 26.1 g, SaturatedFat 7.8 g, Sodium 1261.9 mg, Sugar 4.3 g
EGGPLANT PARMESAN SLIDERS
These party-ready eggplant parmesan sliders are easy for guests to grab (and are vegetarian-friendly!). The lemon-ricotta spread really adds a level of flavor to these delicious bites. -Debbie Glasscock, Conway, Arkansas
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Appetizers
Time 1h
Yield 2 dozen.
Number Of Ingredients 14
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 350°. Place eggs and bread crumbs in separate shallow bowls. Dip eggplant slices in eggs; coat with crumbs. In a large skillet, cook eggplant in oil in batches until golden brown on both sides; drain on paper towels., In a small bowl, mix ricotta, 1/3 cup Parmesan, lemon juice, 1 teaspoon parsley flakes, lemon zest and kosher salt. Spread over roll bottoms. Place in 2 greased 13x9-in. baking dishes. Top with eggplant, marinara and mozzarella. Replace roll tops. Brush with melted butter; sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese and 1 teaspoon parsley., Bake, uncovered, until golden brown and cheese is melted, 15-20 minutes. Serve with additional warmed marinara.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 347 calories, Fat 19g fat (9g saturated fat), Cholesterol 68mg cholesterol, Sodium 420mg sodium, Carbohydrate 33g carbohydrate (13g sugars, Fiber 3g fiber), Protein 13g protein.
Tips:
- To ensure the eggplant slices are cooked evenly, slice them to a uniform thickness. This will help them cook at the same rate.
- If you're short on time, you can use pre-made marinara sauce. However, making your own sauce from scratch is always a better option, as it will give you more control over the flavor.
- Don't overcrowd the pan when frying the eggplant slices. This will cause them to steam instead of fry, resulting in a soggy texture.
- To prevent the eggplant towers from becoming too greasy, drain the fried eggplant slices on paper towels before assembling the towers.
- If you don't have a baking dish that's large enough to fit all of the eggplant towers, you can cook them in batches. Just be sure to keep the cooked towers warm in a preheated oven until you're ready to serve.
Conclusion:
Eggplant Parmesan Towers are a delicious and elegant dish that is perfect for a special occasion. They're also surprisingly easy to make, so don't be intimidated by the ingredient list. Just follow the steps in the recipe and you'll be rewarded with a dish that is sure to impress your guests.
Here are some additional tips for making Eggplant Parmesan Towers:
- You can use any type of eggplant for this recipe, but Italian or Japanese eggplants are ideal. They have a less bitter flavor than other varieties.
- If you don't have any panko breadcrumbs, you can use regular breadcrumbs or crushed crackers.
- You can also add other ingredients to the eggplant towers, such as cooked spinach, roasted red peppers, or sliced mushrooms.
- Serve the eggplant towers immediately after they're cooked, while they're still hot and crispy.
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