Eggplant parmesan recipe

Crispy golden edges, melty cheese, and red sauce soaking into every layer. That is what my olive garden eggplant parmesan looks like when it comes out of the oven on a Sunday night in our little Manhattan kitchen.

Jump to:

• Why You Will Like This Eggplant Parmesan
• Ingredients For Olive Garden Eggplant Parmesan
• Olive Garden Eggplant Parmesan
• How To Make Olive Garden Eggplant Parmesan
• Storage And Reheating
• Tips And Variations For Eggplant Parmesan
• Questions I Get About Olive Garden Eggplant Parmesan
• Recipes You May Like
• Final Thoughts On This Eggplant Parmesan

We first had it at the actual restaurant after Sarah's winter recital. It was freezing, the place was close to the train, and Alex was ten at the time. He ordered the eggplant parm without even glancing at the menu and finished the whole plate.

Then he asked if I could make it at home. Honestly? It took me four tries.

The first pan was soggy in the middle. The second one slid apart the second I cut into it. Batch four is the one written out below, and it has been in our dinner rotation ever since.

Here is what you get. Thin eggplant slices, breaded and fried until crisp, layered with marinara and mozzarella, then baked until the cheese browns on top. No complicated steps and nothing you cannot find at a regular grocery store.

If baked pasta nights are your thing too, my Tuscan baked spaghetti is what I usually make later that same week, mostly because I always have leftover marinara sitting in the fridge.

Why You Will Like This Eggplant Parmesan

• Simple ingredients. Eggplant, flour, eggs, breadcrumbs, sauce, cheese. That is really it.
• Meatless and filling. Donald never notices there is no meat, and he notices everything.
• Crispy, not soggy. The salting step matters, and I will show you exactly how I do it.
• Feeds six people. Great for family dinner or when Sarah brings a friend home.
• Make ahead friendly. You can fry the eggplant in the afternoon and bake it later.
• Kids actually eat it. Alex asks for this at least twice a month.

Ingredients For Olive Garden Eggplant Parmesan

Here is everything you need. I bold the ones that really matter.

• 2 large eggplants, sliced a quarter inch thick
• ½ cup all purpose flour
• 2 large eggs, whisked
• ¾ cup breadcrumbs
• ½ cup parmesan cheese, finely grated
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 ½ teaspoons black pepper
• 2 cups marinara sauce, divided in half
• 2 cups low moisture mozzarella cheese, grated
• Neutral oil for frying

For The Homemade Marinara (Optional)

• 12 oz can San Marzano tomatoes
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• ¼ teaspoon red chili flakes
• ½ teaspoon dried basil
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• Kosher salt to taste

A few notes from my kitchen. Low moisture mozzarella is the one in the block or the bag, not the soft ball sitting in water. Fresh mozzarella releases too much liquid and you end up with a puddle.

Jarred sauce is completely fine. I use it on school nights without any guilt. When I do have twenty minutes, the homemade version tastes brighter, and it works with almost anything, including my bolognese recipe if you want to keep some in the freezer.

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How To Make Olive Garden Eggplant Parmesan

I broke this into short sections so you can follow along with sticky hands.

Season The Breadcrumbs First

Mix the breadcrumbs, parmesan, garlic powder, dried parsley, kosher salt, and black pepper in a shallow dish. Stir it well and set it aside.

Doing this first keeps you from scrambling later with egg on your fingers. I learned that the hard way.

Salt And Dry The Eggplant

Lay the eggplant slices on a sheet tray lined with paper towels. Sprinkle both sides with kosher salt.

Let them sit for 10 to 15 minutes. You will see little beads of water rise to the surface, which is exactly what you want.

Move the slices to a colander and rinse them well. Pat every slice dry with paper towels.

This step is the whole secret. Skip it and you get a watery pan. I skipped it once and Donald politely called it soup.

Set Up Your Breading Station

Line up three dishes. Flour in the first, whisked eggs in the second, seasoned breadcrumbs in the third.

Dredge each eggplant slice in flour and shake off the extra. Dip it in the egg and let the drips fall off.

Press it into the breadcrumb mix on both sides. Set the coated slices on a wire rack while you finish the rest.

Fry Until Golden

Heat a 12 inch cast iron skillet over medium heat with about half an inch of neutral oil.

Once the oil is hot, add four slices at a time. Crowding the pan drops the temperature and the coating goes soft.

Cook 3 to 4 minutes per side, until deep golden and crisp. Drain the slices on a wire rack set over a sheet tray, and hit them with a tiny pinch of salt while they are still hot.

Layer And Bake

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Spray a 9x9 baking dish with cooking spray.

Spread half the marinara across the bottom. Shingle the fried eggplant slices so they overlap slightly.

Top with the rest of the marinara and all the shredded mozzarella. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, then broil for a minute or two until the cheese browns in spots.

Let it rest 5 minutes before cutting. I know, waiting is hard when it smells like that.

Storage And Reheating

Leftovers keep in the fridge for 3 days in a shallow airtight container. Shallow matters, because a deep container traps steam and softens the coating.

For the freezer, wrap portions tightly and freeze up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.

Reheat in a 375°F oven for about 15 minutes, uncovered. The microwave works in a pinch, but you lose the crunch completely.

Want to know something odd? The sauce actually tastes better on day two. The garlic and oregano settle in overnight.

Tips And Variations For Eggplant Parmesan

Here is what I have picked up after making this more times than I can count.

• Slice evenly. Thick slices stay chewy in the middle while thin ones crisp fast.
• Use two hands. One hand for dry, one for wet. Otherwise your fingers turn into breaded clubs.
• Bake instead of fry. Arrange the breaded slices on a rack, spray with oil, and bake at 425°F for 20 minutes, flipping once. Less crisp, much less oil.
• Add heat. A pinch of chili flakes in the sauce. Sarah hates it, Alex loves it, so I only do half the pan.
• Fold in ricotta. A few spoonfuls between layers makes it creamier, almost like lasagna.
• Watch the broiler. Ten seconds too long and the cheese goes bitter. Ask me how I know.

Serve it with something simple on the side. We usually do a green salad and warm bread, though tomato bruschetta shows up when I have people over.

Questions I Get About Olive Garden Eggplant Parmesan

How Do You Keep Eggplant Parmigiana From Becoming Soggy?

Salt the slices, rinse them, and dry them well before breading. Fry in oil that is properly hot, drain on a wire rack instead of paper towels, and go light on the sauce. Sauce goes under and over the eggplant, never soaking every slice.

Do You Need To Peel Eggplant Before Making Eggplant Parmigiana?

No, and I usually leave the skin on. It helps the slices hold their shape in the pan. If your eggplant is older with thick tough skin, peel it in stripes so you keep some structure without the chew.

Can Olive Garden Copycat Eggplant Parmigiana Be Made Ahead Of Time?

Yes. Fry the eggplant in the morning and hold it at room temperature on a rack, then layer and bake right before dinner. You can also assemble the whole dish, refrigerate it, and add 10 extra minutes to the bake time.

What Is The Best Way To Reheat Eggplant Parmigiana?

The oven wins every time. Set it to 375°F and reheat uncovered for 12 to 15 minutes. An air fryer at 350°F for about 6 minutes works well for a single portion and brings the edges right back.

Recipes You May Like

• Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Parmesan for the same cheesy comfort with a lot less oil.
• Creamy Spaghetti Alla Carbonara when you want an Italian dinner in under 30 minutes.
• Homemade Minestrone Soup for a lighter meal that still feels cozy.

Final Thoughts On This Eggplant Parmesan

So there it is. Salt the eggplant, bread it, fry it, layer it, bake it. Five steps and dinner is on the table.

This olive garden eggplant parmesan is the dish my kids request when the weather turns cold, and I love that it started with one restaurant meal after a school recital. Real food, made at home, shared around one table.

Give it a try this week and tell me how it turned out for you. Save it to Pinterest so it is waiting when you need a warm dinner.