Grandma's Italian Eggplant Parmigiana Recipe

Grandma's Italian Eggplant Parmigiana

4.7

(7)

6 Reviews

2 Photos

This heirloom family Italian eggplant parmesan recipe came stateside with my grandmother when she immigrated from Italy. Growing up in a house with Italian sauce made every Sunday, this eggplant dish was always a favorite. Using good quality ingredients is critical for this recipe. It is very time-consuming and laborious. It would be a shame to invest all of this time and effort with inferior ingredients only to be let down when you eat it later.

Submitted by Daddy's Kitchen

Published on July 11, 2019

Prep Time:

30 mins

Cook Time:

50 mins

Additional Time:

8 hrs 15 mins

Total Time:

9 hrs 35 mins

Servings:

Yield:

1 9x13-inch dish

Jump to Nutrition Facts

Ingredients

2 medium Italian eggplants, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch slices
2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
3 tablespoons sea salt, or to taste
1 tablespoon ground black pepper, or to taste
5 eggs, room temperature
3 tablespoons water, room temperature
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, or as needed
2 cups freshly grated Pecorino-Romano cheese, divided
40 ounces Italian-style tomato sauce
2 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese
30 ounces freshly grated mozzarella cheese

Directions

Lay eggplant slices on top of paper towels and sprinkle with sea salt to draw out moisture. Cover with additional paper towels. Let sit, 8 hours to overnight.
Place flour into a 1-gallon resealable plastic bag. Add salt and pepper; shake the bag to mix. Place 6 eggplant slices into the bag, seal, and shake to coat.
Beat eggs and water together using a fork in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
Heat 2 inches of oil over medium-high heat in a 10-inch cast iron skillet. Line baking sheets with paper towels to drain eggplants after frying.
Shake excess flour from eggplant slices and place into egg mixture, turning to ensure both sides are coated. Allow excess egg mixture to drip off.
Fry in hot oil until slightly golden, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to the paper towel-lined baking sheets. Sprinkle each slice with 1 tablespoon Pecorino Romano cheese. Repeat process until all eggplant slices are fried. Let cool slightly, about 5 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
Pour a small amount of tomato sauce into the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking pan to cover.
Place 1/3 of the eggplant slices over sauce, slightly overlapping them. Sprinkle 1/3 of the remaining Pecorino-Romano cheese and Parmesan cheese evenly on top. Cover with a light layer of sauce. Sprinkle 1/3 of the mozzarella cheese over sauce. Repeat for a total of 3 layers.
Bake in the preheated oven until bubbly, about 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes to set.

Tips

Cook's Notes:

Make sure your eggplants aren't too big, or you risk seeds and possibly bitterness.

Refrigerate leftovers. I sometimes like cold eggplant the next day, even better than fresh out of the oven!

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

569	Calories
33g	Fat
33g	Carbs
36g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 12
Calories 569
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 33g	42%
Saturated Fat 15g	74%
Cholesterol 146mg	49%
Sodium 2463mg	107%
Total Carbohydrate 33g	12%
Dietary Fiber 5g	19%
Total Sugars 8g
Protein 36g	71%
Vitamin C 2mg	2%
Calcium 937mg	72%
Iron 18mg	99%
Potassium 368mg	8%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.

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