Eggplant Parmesan Stacks Recipe (With Video)

Servings:

6

There's nothing quite like eggplant parmesan, but if you want to switch up the traditional dish and make something quicker (and more kid-friendly!), consider giving these delicious stacks a try. Our simple recipe can be broken down into three main components: You'll need to fry your eggplant rounds, load them up with pan-cooked, chunky tomato sauce, slices of fresh mozzarella and plenty of parmesan cheese, and bake until the flavorful stacks are bubbling and gooey. They're perfect as is—but we recommend serving them with plenty of crusty bread to soak up any residual sauce.

Directions

Preheat oven, fry eggplant rounds, and drain:

Preheat oven to 425°F. Season eggplant with salt. Heat 1 cup oil (about 1/4 inch) in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, so as to not crowd the skillet, fry eggplant rounds, turning once, until soft and pale golden, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels.
Add garlic, cook tomatoes, and stir in herbs:

Heat remaining 3 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic, and cook 20 seconds (do not let brown). Add tomatoes and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until tomatoes break down and are soft, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in oregano and basil.

(Alternatively, stir oregano and basil into 1 1/4 cups Freezable Tomato Sauce Base.)
Form the stacks:

Place 6 slices of eggplant on a rimmed baking sheet. Top each slice with 1 tablespoon sauce and a few pieces of mozzarella, and sprinkle with 2 teaspoons parmesan. Repeat layering twice.
Bake, garnish, and serve:

Bake until heated through and cheese is bubbling, about 12 minutes. Serve immediately, garnished with oregano and parmesan shavings.

Andrew Purcell