Whether your baking or grilling, this simple gluten-free eggplant parmesan will be a family favorite. Easy to put together and perfect for using up garden eggplants.
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Fellow eggplant lover here. I especially love them baked with a bit of olive oil and some salt, really simple. This eggplant parmesan recipe, requires a bit more work but I promise it’s easy and you will create a delicious dinner. It’s perfect in the summer with a nice glass of wine, or for a cozy winter dinner; it works for both seasons. You can serve it with some toasted crusty bread, or if you are gluten-free then use a gluten-free roll or sourdough bread. If you want to switch up your vegetable this Zucchini Parmesan is a nice change and I also love this Zucchini and Eggplant Quiche.
Ingredients
Eggplant – You will need 2 lbs of eggplant about 4 medium size ones
Salt – Table salt or fine sea salt work well in this recipe
Water – You will need water to soak the eggplant but also depending on the sauce you’re using to thin it out a bit.
Black Pepper – Fresh ground black pepper
Tomato Sauce – Homemade or your favorite store brand. I like Rao’s marinara sauce.
Mozzarella Cheese – Shredded mozzarella cheese, if you can find a block and shred it yourself then that’s even better.
Parmesan Cheese – You will need 1 tbsp of parmesan cheese
Basil Leaves – A few sprigs of basil leaves
Instructions
Cut the eggplant into 1/4 inch rounds and place them into a large bowl.
Liberally sprinkle 2 tbs of salt over the eggplant and toss to coat them.
Fill the bowl containing the eggplant rounds with water and press down and swirl the water so some of the eggplant becomes submerged. Let the eggplant soak for 30 minutes, turning them periodically so the salt distributes into the water.
Pre-heat the oven to 400°F.
Drain the eggplant then rinse them and lay them onto a towel. Dry both sides of the eggplant.
Dry the bowl you used to soak the eggplant and place the dried eggplant back into the bowl and sprinkle them with 1/2 tsp of salt, 1/2 tsp of black pepper and drizzle them with 5 tbsp of olive oil. Mix together using your hands until the eggplant rounds are evenly coated with the oil, salt and pepper.
Lay the eggplant onto parchment lined baking sheets, (you may need more than one) and bake them for 30-40 minutes, flipping them halfway through and adding more oil if needed, until they are tender when pierced with a fork.
Add a thin layer of sauce to the bottom of an 11×7 roasting pan, then add one layer of eggplant.
Add a layer of sauce on top of the eggplant, if the sauce is too thick add some water to it. You want a thinner sauce for this.
Add a layer of mozzarella on top of the sauce, then sprinkle it with 1 tbsp of parmesan cheese.
Repeat the process, eggplant, sauce, mozzarella, making sure the top layer is mozzarella. You will only add the parmesan cheese to 1 layer. It’s ok to stack some of the eggplant when you are nearing the end.
Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake 30-40 minutes or until the eggplant is bubbling and the cheese is melted.
Add a few basil leaves to the top if desired.
Recipe Tips
- soaking the eggplant is essential to remove the bitterness
- don’t add more salt than indicated as it can make the dish too salty
- you can grill the eggplant then prepare it as indicated in the recipe or you can use a large cast iron pan and bake it on the grill
Simple Gluten-Free Eggplant Parmesan
Equipment
- 1 11 x 7 Baking Pan
Ingredients
- 4 Medium to large eggplant about 2 lbs
- 2 tbsp Salt
- 5-6 cups Water
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
- 5 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 32 oz Marinara sauce homemade or store bought
- 12-14 oz Mozzarella cheese shredded
- 1 tbsp Parmesan Cheese, grated optional
- 2-3 Basil Leaf, fresh
Instructions
- Trim the ends off the eggplant and cut them into 1/4 inch rounds and place them into a large bowl.
- Liberally sprinkle 2 tbsp of salt over the eggplant and toss to coat them.
- Fill the bowl containing the eggplant rounds with water and press down and swirl the water so some of the eggplant becomes submerged and the water gets salty. Let the eggplant soak for 30 minutes, turning them periodically so the salt distributes into the water.
- Pre-heat the oven to 400°F.
- Drain the eggplant then rinse them and lay them onto a clean tea towel. Dry both sides of the eggplant.
- Rinse and dry the bowl you used to soak the eggplant and place the dried eggplant back into the bowl and sprinkle them with 1/2 tsp of salt, 1/2 tsp of black pepper and drizzle them with 5 tbsp of olive oil. Mix together using your hands until the eggplant rounds are evenly coated with the oil, salt and pepper.
- Lay the eggplant onto parchment lined baking sheets, (you may need more than one) and bake them for 30-40 minutes, flipping them halfway through and adding more oil if needed, until they are tender when pierced with a fork.
- Add a thin layer of sauce to the bottom of an 11×7 roasting pan, then add one layer of eggplant.
- Add a layer of sauce on top of the eggplant, if the sauce is too thick add some water to it. You want a thinner sauce for this.
- Add a layer of mozzarella on top of the sauce, then sprinkle it with 1 tbsp of parmesan cheese.
- Repeat the process, eggplant, sauce, mozzarella, making sure the top layer is mozzarella. You will only add the parmesan cheese to 1 layer. It’s ok to stack some of the eggplant when you are nearing the end.
- Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake 30-40 minutes or until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese is melted.
- Add a few basil leaves to the top if desired.
