Think of Eggplant Parmigiana as a pasta-less vegetarian Lasagna, made with thin slices of eggplant instead of pasta, layered with tomato sauce, fresh basil and plenty of molten cheese. Called Parmigiana di Melanzane in Italian and known as Eggplant Parmesan in the US, it’s a low-carb dream come true!
This is a reader-favourite recipe included by popular demand in my debut cookbook “Dinner”!

Eggplant Parmigiana
If Moussaka is Greece’s answer to Italian Lasagna, then Eggplant Parmigiana is Italy’s comeback. And what a comeback it is!!!
A southern Italian classic, this is one of those incredible vegetarian dishes that’s so good, even card-carrying carnivores won’t pause for a moment to wonder, “Where’s the meat??” This is comfort food for everyone.
It oozes with cheesy goodness – molten mozzarella on top and the savoury hum of parmesan within. It’s slick and bright with fresh tomato sauce. It’s dotted with addictive pops of fresh basil leaves like a great margherita pizza. And with every bite, you get a mouthful of the juicy, soft eggplant layers.
There are a few steps involved in making this dish. But as one of the greatest vegetarian-low-carb dishes imaginable, it is worth every second!


The three parts of Eggplant Parmigiana
Here are the three parts of Eggplant Parmigiana:
Thin slices of eggplant – I opt to bake rather than the traditional method of deep frying in copious amounts of oil. As delicious as fried eggplant is, I guarantee you won’t miss the oil (but your hips will thank you for it!);
Tomato sauce (sugo) – A semi-quick one that we simmer for 30 minutes to develop flavour, cook out the tomato and thicken it so it’s not watery; and
Fresh basil and cheese – For the layers.



What you need to make Eggplant Parmigiana
1. Eggplant slices
First up, here’s all you need for the eggplant slices:

Eggplants / aubergines – We need 4 to 5 decent-sized eggplants for this recipe. 1.8kg (3.6lb) in total. This sounds like a lot, but we need them! Eggplant shrinks as it cooks, and we need enough to cover 3 layers of a full-size casserole dish. Also, the eggplant is sliced about 3 times thicker than it is for Greek Moussaka, so we need more; and
Olive oil – For brushing before we bake them. Oil helps the slices cook and stay moist.
2. Tomato sauce (“sugo”)
The sauce for Eggplant Parmigiana is a classic Italian tomato sugo (“sauce” in Italian). It’s thicker than what you’d make for pasta, because if it’s too thin the water tends to bleed out from the sauce as the Eggplant Parmigiana cooks, resulting in a “split” sauce. Also, the Eggplant Parmigiana will be too sloppy and impossible to serve in (reasonably!) neat slices.
Here’s what you need:

Tomato passata – Pureed, strained pure tomatoes, sometimes labelled “tomato puree” in the US (here’s a photo of Mutti tomato passata sold at Walmart). It’s readily available in Australian supermarkets nowadays, alongside pasta sauces. Passata is excellent for making thick, smooth sauces. More on tomato passata here;
Crushed or finely diced tomato – We don’t want a perfectly smooth sugo, we also want some texture and chunkiness, hence some finely chopped tomato as well. The better the quality of your canned tomato, the better your sauce! Cheap canned tomato tends to be sour and not really taste of what it should, ie. tomato!
Oregano – Or basil will work a treat here;
Garlic – Lots of it! Garlic and tomato go together like Adam and Eve; and
Sugar – Just a touch, to bring out the natural sweetness of the tomato and balance the sourness. If you have the time to simmer the tomato sauce and simmer it for 1 1/2 hours you can skip the sugar.
3. Cheese and basil for layers
For the layers, we use parmesan and basil sandwiched between the eggplant layers. Finally we use mozzarella for sprinkling on top:

Parmesan – It’s all in a name: Parmesan is the essential flavouring and seasoning for Eggplant Parmigiana! We finely grate it and sprinkle on each layer so its cheesy, savoury taste permeates every bite;
Mozzarella – I did say right upfront there’s plenty of molten cheesy goodness in Eggplant Parmigiana! Hey, we can afford the calories here, remember, this is a low-carb dish!
Fresh basil – Nothing goes better with tomatoes than basil! We scatter leaves on each and every layer as well as for garnishing the finished dish.
How to make Eggplant Parmigiana
Steps: Bake eggplant slices → Make Sauce → Assemble and bake!
1. Baked eggplant Slices

Eggplant slices: Slice the eggplant lengthwise into 8mm / ⅓” thick slices. Place on to three lined trays and brush each side of every slice with olive oil; then
Bake in a 220°C (430°F) oven for 35 to 40 minutes until the eggplant is lightly browned.
No salt? That’s right, no salt. You often see recipes calling for salt sprinkled on the raw eggplant to draw water out, which tenderises the flesh and makes the eggplant absorb less oil when cooking. Common wisdom also claims that salt removes the bitter taste in eggplants. However the reality is modern eggplants have had any bitterness bred out of them so it’s not a necessary step today.
We do not need to salt the eggplant for Eggplant Parmigiana because we found that it makes the dish too salty once you add the parmesan (even after patting the moisture off) and already-seasoned tomato sauce. Also for this dish, the tomato sauce makes the eggplant flesh beautifully tender and juicy. So, no salt!


2. Tomato sauce (“sugo”)

Sauté onion and garlic with the oil, then add everything else (tomato passata, crushed tomato, oregano or basil, salt and pepper); and
Simmer for 30 minutes until it reduces into a fairly thick sauce, as pictured below. You should be able to draw a path along the base of the pot that remains visible for a few seconds.
The sauce needs to be quite thick otherwise you’ll end up with a sloppy Eggplant Parmigiana with a “split”-looking sauce, that can’t be neatly sliced.

3. Assembling and baking Eggplant Parmigiana

Smear some tomato sauce on the base of a baking dish. This stops the first layer of eggplant from sliding around;
Eggplant layer: Top with a layer of eggplant, using 1/3 of the eggplant;
Tomato sauce: Spread eggplant with 1/3 of the tomato sauce;
Olive oil: Drizzle with a little olive oil;
Basil: Scatter with 1/3 of the basil leaves;
Parmesan: Sprinkle with 1/3 of the parmesan;
Repeat: Repeat layering twice more for a total of three eggplant layers. With the top-most layer, (a) add everything except the basil, which we’ll save it for fresh garnish later; (b) sprinkle over all the mozzarella for our melted cheesy topping!;
Bake for 25 minutes in a 180°C (350°F) oven until the mozzarella is bubbly and golden, and the smells wafting out of your oven are knee-bucklingly good!
Scatter with the remaining fresh basil leaves just before serving.

Let the Eggplant Parmigiana rest for 5 to 10 minute before cutting to serve. This gives a chance for it to both cool and also set a little, which will help ensure you can cut neat(-ish) slices, like so:


Meat-free food this good could even convert me into a vegetarian …
OK, I’m maybe exaggerating there! Just a throwaway line that sounds good so I can convince you to make this! 😂 Everybody knows that I’m a sucker for roasts. I could never give up meat!!! – Nagi x
PS. The Eggplant Parmigiana is pictured above with a Rocket and Parmesan Salad, minus the parmesan because I figure I’ve already used enough in the dish! (That’s Arugula Salad, to those of you in the States.) Any big, green leafy salad will work a treat here. See here for all my side salads and vegetables.
Watch how to make it
This recipe features in my debut cookbook Dinner. The book is mostly new recipes, but this is a reader favourite included by popular demand!
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Eggplant Parmigiana (Parmigiana di Melanzane)
Ingredients
Baked Eggplant Slices:
- 1.8kg / 2.6lb large eggplants (aubergines) – about 5 , sliced lengthways 8mm (1/3")-thick (skin on, Note 1)
- 1/4 cup olive oil (for brushing)
Layers:
- 1 2/3 cups parmesan , finely grated
- 2 cups basil leaves (loosely packed), stalks reserved
- 1 1/2 cups mozzarella , shredded (for topping) (Note 2)
Sugo (tomato sauce):
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 onion , finely diced
- 5 garlic cloves , finely minced
- 600ml / 20oz tomato passata (Note 3)
- 400g/ 14oz canned tomatoes , crushed or finely chopped (Note 4)
- 1 1/2 tsp white sugar
- 1 1/2 tbsp fresh oregano , finely chopped (or 1/2 tsp dried oregano, or 1 sprig fresh basil)
- 1 cup water
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Instructions
Baking eggplant:
- Preheat oven to 220°C / 430°F (200°C fan).
- Line three trays: Line three large trays with baking / parchment paper.
- Brush eggplant with oil: Brush eggplant slices on each side with oil.
- Bake 35 minutes: Arrange eggplant in a single layer on the trays and bake for about 35 – 45 mins or until browning and tender, turning the eggplant halfway. I put the trays on the top shelf, in the middle, then I put one tray on the floor of the oven. As each tray finishes, I remove the tray and move the others up.
- Cool: Remove from oven, leave on trays to cool.
Tomato sauce (sugo):
- Sauté onions and garlic: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté onions and garlic for 3 minutes until softened and just about to colour on the edges.
- Add remaining ingredients: Pour in the passata , canned tomatoes, water, oregano and sugar. Stir and bring to a simmer.
- Simmer 30 minutes: Simmer uncovered for about 30 – 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened, adding the basil stalks halfway through cooking (so they don’t lose their flavour).
- The final consistency should be slightly thicker than a pasta sauce so it’s spreadable and not leaching liquid, but not too pasty either. Add extra water a little at a time if required during cooking if it gets too thick. Remove the basil stalks and discard.
- Season: Stir in salt and pepper. (Remember, we get salt from the parmesan too, so no need to go overboard here)
Assembling and baking:
- Reduce oven to 180°C / 350°F (160°C fan).
- Smear a little tomato sauce in the bottom of baking dish, 23 x 33cm / 9 x 13" (or thereabouts).
- Layer 1: Lay one third of the eggplant so it covers the base (some overlap is OK when layering eggplant). Spread 1/3 of the remaining sugo over eggplant. Drizzle with a little olive oil. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the parmesan, and 1/3 of basil leaves.
- Layer 2: Repeat another 1/3 each of eggplant, tomato sauce, olive oil, basil and parmesan.
- Layer 3 (top layer): Repeat again with remaining eggplant, tomato sauce and some olive oil. Do not put basil on top layer (we will garnish after baking). Scatter with remaining parmesan, then all the mozzarella.
- Bake for 25 mins until bubbling and golden.
- Rest: Let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes (easier to slice neatly). Scatter over remaining fresh basil leaves. Cut like lasagna and serve! (Optional: sprinkle with extra parmesan).
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
More eggplant excellence
Life of Dozer
Dozer in his usual position while I’m shooting a recipe video….

Hi Nagi,
Could we substitute zucchini for egg plant? We are not big fans of egg plant. If yes, do we need to use salt to draw out bitterness or water in the zucchini?
Thank you so much!
Phaedra
Phaedra, I was wondering the same thing! So I searched old comments and found this response from Nagi on 13 Jul 2021….
“Hi Sarah, yes, although zucchini takes less time to cook and is slightly more watery than eggplant – it may alter the final results. N x”
Made this tonight. Absolutely delicious. I added crumbled cooked Italian sausage between the layers for my spouse who likes meat. I’ll be making this again.
I’ve made this three times now. The best recipe for parmigiano I’ve come across, and I’ve been making versions of it for years, since buying it from a deli in Northern Italy about a century ago. I love the simplicity of this version–really just eggplant, tomatoes, minimal onion, heaps of garlic and basil and two fabulous cheeses. Each time I’ve forgotten to stock up on passata so subbed about another half can of best Italian crushed tomatoes (yes, Mutti!) and a good splodge of tomato paste. I’ve used sliced bocconcini a couple of times instead of grated mozzarella. Lovely little creamy pops under the parmigiano. Looks gorgeous and tastes even better.
Thanks, Nagi!
Hi Nagi,
Quick question – I am making this for a dinner as a starter (mini stacks) but I have dairy free guests… they eat cheese as long as it is not from cows. Would it be possible to use crumbled goat cheese here instead?
Thank you so much!
Myriam
Absolutely delicious.. a new family favourite
Amazing!!! This recipe is so good, everybody loved it!
Not salting the eggplant and pre cooking in oven instead of frying was such a time saver and worked perfectly (I’ll admit I was a little nervous initially)! I added white wine, stock and tomato paste when making the sauce, but this was purely out of habit! I will definitely be making this again soon.
Thank you for the recipe! I followed all instructions except that I did salt and rinse eggplants before cooking (I was not sure whether they were bitter or not). The only thing I would change next time is reduce the amount of sugar, the sauce was a bit too sweet but this also depends on the natural sweetness/sourness of the purée. This was very very delicious – thank you!
This was my first eggplant parmigiana that I cooked and everybody loved it. Thanks for the recicipe!
We are growing our own vegetables on my daughters mini farm and this year we have tons of the most beautiful eggplants and tomatoes. Our farm meal today besides the eggplant parmigiana consisted of delicious golden beets, sweet peas and roasted zucchini chips coated with olive oil parmesan and bread crumbs.
for dessert I baked a zucchini bread/cake.
The hard work growing all this is really paying off and we all enjoy the super harvest.
Nagi, your recipes continue to floor me. This is by far & away the best eggplant parmigiana I’ve ever made. Absolutely delicious & healthy. If I could give 10 stars I would. Just another spectacular recipe.
Hi Nagi! Just wondering if I could make the sauce with fresh tomatoes (mostly paste-type) – and let it cook to the proper consistency?
I’ve been googling for good recipes that uses eggplants, and found this amazing recipe! I just made this for dinner tonight, and my family seemed to have really liked it. They were just as surprised as I was that a “lasagna” with no meat or pasta can taste this good!
I followed the instructions to the letter, except I added some extra mozzarella to the top layer instead of some extra parmesan. I also cooked the eggplants in the oven for 30 minutes instead of 35, because they were starting to get burnt a little. I also didn’t need the extra water for the sauce, since it was thick enough. I am guessing this may depend on the size of the onion used? (the one I used was quite big).
Thanks for posting this recipe! I’ll definitely make it again in the future 🙂
really really delicious. I added zucchini and silverbeet before the final cooking.
Really easy and insanely delicious. It is a keeper.
Delicious! It turned out perfectly the first time I made it. Loved this with a lightly dressed green salad
That sounds like the perfect dinner right now! N x
Love this recipe & agree do not salt & light on the oil.
Ive used a thick Italian pre-made sauce that includes grilled veg eggplant, zucchini, red & yellow peppers,garlic, wine vinegar etc. & since I love the sauce it adds a nice little tang & less work. All good. I love this recipe. Thank you so much for passing it along.
I am happy that you enjoyed it Donna!! N x
Love this recipe. The simple change to oven baking the eggplant makes it so easy and much healthier. Thanks Nagi, you’ve done it again!
Superb!
For those wondering if this can be assemble ahead and not frozen, yes it can!
I prepared and assembled the whole thing 48h ahead and it was absolutely fine. I did make sure to cook the sauce until it was very thick (same consistency as the photo took 50 minutes for me) and my eggplants were well roasted.
Great dish!
I will never bread and fry my eggplant for eggplant parm after trying this fabulous version. Better the second day. Thanks so much for this healthier version of our Italian families standbys.
I am happy that you enjoyed it Jen! N x
I am making this for the third time. 1st time was the original, 2nd time I added the ground beef. Wifey says for now on, we go original. Always with extra mozzarella.
I am glad that you enjoyed it Ralph! N x
AMAZING!!! I’m making this for the 4th time- there is NO better way to get my eggplant fix in than this recipe- Unreal good!