Looking for a healthy Baked Eggplant Parmesan? Sunday dinner never tasted so good — our fresh ingredients from our pasta and tomato sauce combined with meaty slices of eggplant with a crisp and substantial (but not heavy) coating, creates a perfect family dinner.
These pasta dishes may be time consuming but the process itself is rather easy, skipping the frying altogether, instead baking the slices that had been coated in flour, eggs, and bread crumbs seasoned with Parmesan cheese.
1 hour 30 minutes | Serves 6-8
- Eggplant Parmesan History
- Ingredients for Baked Eggplant Parmesan
- Directions for Baked Eggplant Parmesan
- About Dagostino Pasta
Eggplant Parmesan History
Where did Eggplant Parmesan come from? Eggplant Parmesan, parmigiana di melanzane in Italian, is one of the classic preparations of southern Italy, primarily Naples. There are several theories about the origin of eggplant Parmesan. The most obvious is that the name of the dish derives from parmigiano cheese. Many food writers have voiced suspicion of this explanation because parmigiano is not native to Naples or other regions of southern Italy where eggplant Parmesan is found. They argue that, in fact, the dish originates in Parma in northern Italy, because either Parmesan refers to the city of Parma.
Baked Eggplant Parmesan Ingredients
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2 lbs eggplant, cut crosswise into ¼ inch thick rounds 1 tbl kosher salt 2 cups Italian bread crumbs Salt and pepper 1 ½ cup grated parmesan cheese 4 large eggs |
1 cup all-purpose flour 6 tbl vegetable oil 1 jar Dagostino smooth tomato sauce 8 oz or 2 cups whole milk mozzarella cheese 1 lb Dagostino Linguine 10 fresh basil leaves, torn for garnish |
Baked Eggplant Parmesan Directions
- Place eggplant in a large bowl and toss with kosher salt until combined. The coarse grains of kosher salt don't dissolve as readily as the fine grains of regular table salt, so any excess can be easily wiped away. Let sit for 30 - 45 minutes or until the eggplant releases about 2 tablespoons of liquid. Arrange eggplant slices on triple layer paper towels; cover with another triple layer paper towel. Firmly press each slice to remove as much liquid as possible, then wipe off excess salt.
- While eggplant is draining, preheat the oven to 425 degrees and place baking sheets into the oven. Place breadcrumbs in a pie plate and stir in 1 cup of parmesan, ¼ teaspoon of salt, ½ teaspoon pepper; set aside.
- Combine flour and 1 teaspoon pepper in a large zipper-lock bag; shake to combine. Beat eggs in a second pie plate. Place 8 to 10 eggplant slices in a bag with flour; seal bag and shake to coat eggplant. Remove eggplant slices, shaking off excess flour, dip in eggs, let excess egg run off, then coat evenly with bread crumb mixture; set breaded slices on a wire rack set over the baking sheet. Repeat with remaining eggplant.
- Remove preheated baking sheets from the oven; add 3 tablespoons oil to each sheet, tilting to coat evenly with oil. Place half of the breaded eggplant on each sheet in a single layer; bake until eggplant is well browned and crisp, about 30 minutes, switching and rotating baking sheets after 10 minutes, and flipping eggplant slices with a wide spatula after 20 minutes.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. When the water is boiling, salt well — like the sea, add the Dagostino Linguine Pasta, and cook for 6 minutes to al dente. Drain the pasta in a collider.
- Spread 1 cup of tomato sauce in the bottom of a 13 by 9-inch baking dish. Layer in half of the eggplant slices, overlapping slices to fit; distribute 1 cup sauce over eggplant; sprinkle with half of mozzarella. Layer in remaining eggplant and dot with 1 cup sauce, leaving the majority of eggplant exposed so it will remain crisp; sprinkle with 1/2 cup Parmesan and remaining mozzarella. Bake until bubbling and cheese is browned, 13 - 15 minutes. Cool 10 minutes; scatter basil over top, and serve on top of pasta, passing remaining tomato sauce separately.
About Dagostino Handmade Pasta
From Lemons to Premium Pasta
Our story started with lemon farmers in Sicily. In the early 19th century lemons would go on long voyages from Sicily to New Orleans, usually taking around 100 days. These Sicilians would create settlements in New Orleans and with them came pasta.
The Fresina Family, our founders, were some of these original lemon farmers and started creating handmade pasta in New Orleans in 1926. Since then, the D’Agostino and Hayward families have continued their tradition of creating premium handmade pasta using pure semolina flour and water then cutting the pasta through bronze dies and air-drying in wooden cellars.
Our pasta is still made the old-fashioned way, in our pasta factory, using the “delicate” method developed centuries ago. Small quantities of pasta are extruded through bronze, carefully looped over wooden rods, straightened, and then air-dried in wooden cellars. Celebrated for its delicate texture and classic flavor, our pasta is handmade, all-natural, and preservative free, producing the best tasting pasta available on the market today.
Our sauces are some of the most authentic sauces available outside of Italy. The sauces are handmade in small batches with a unique blend of fresh herbs and spices. Made without preservatives, each batch is carefully examined by our chefs and food scientists to ensure our sauces are the best tasting on the market.
You will experience our time honored family treasure in every meal.