This Italian classic can be difficult to replicate because of the amount of toppings that go into it. Having too many things in your mouth at once makes eating eggplant very uncomfortable, if not impossible.
Fortunately for you, we have some great recipes! We’ve included our Top 5 Best Eggplant Parmesan Recipes here so that you don’t need to make this delicious veggie-filled dish yourself.
These recipes are perfect either as is or you can add some more ingredients to taste. They’re all definitely worth trying! If you enjoy any of these, feel free to give one of them a star rating via the recipe box icon at the bottom of the page.
Eggplant parmesan is a fun way to use up leftover meat or chicken when they’re no longer edible. Plus, it’s a pretty entertaining food idea since you get to eat lots of veggies with pasta.
Dried pasta
One of our favorite eggplant parm recipes is definitely not for new cooks! This recipe will totally appeal to you if you have made pastas before, as dried pasta is used in this recipe. You can also use fresh pasta, but we recommend using the dried variety so that your finished product does not become mushy due to the eggplant soaking up too much liquid.
Dry pasta such as shells or rotini works best in this recipe because they do not require too many touches while cooking. You can mix them into the sauce at the last minute to ensure they are cooked through and taste good. Make sure to season the pasta with salt during these final minutes to help it cook more quickly.
We love serving this dish with broccoli rabe (also known as rapini) because of its slight bitterness.
Broccoli salad
While most people know what to do with eggplant, parmesan cheese, and breading, how to cook the eggplant can get tricky. If you over-bake or dry out your eggplant, it will lose taste and value.
Luckily, there are many recipes that call for cooked eggplant in the ingredient list! To make things easier, we have compiled a list of perfect accompaniments here for you to choose from.
These suggestions include broccoli florets, dried pasta, tomato sauce, and more. Pick one (or all) and see just how delicious this recipe becomes!
Good luck cooking nothing but smiles while eating this dish 🙂
Broccoli Salad
Making a fresh batch of this every week is our new favorite way to eat broccoli. The creaminess of the avocado gives it some much needed moisture, and the crunchy bits mixed into the greens give it some extra flavor and texture.
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Potato salad
When making eggplant parm, one of your toppings should be a simple potato salad! The best way to make this is using thin sliced potatoes that have been cooked and chilled. Add some olive oil, salt, and pepper and mix until it forms a solid mass.
To add flavor, try mixing in some sun-dried tomatoes, roasted garlic, or any other ingredient you have available. You can also season the eggplant with herbs and spices before baking it if desired.
This recipe makes enough for 6–8 people depending on how much you eat! It’s good to have an extra batch just in case someone doesn’t like all of their food.
Chickpea salad
A classic eggplant parm recipe calls for basting the breaded slices of eggplant in olive oil before broiling or frying them and then topping them with tomato sauce and cheese. To mix up the toppings, use whatever ingredients you have on hand and like!
One easy way to start is by making a chickpea (garbanzo bean) salad. This delicious side can be made days ahead and simply needs to be mixed together at the last minute. It’s great served either as a starter, main dish, or dessert — it really doesn’t matter.
To make chickpea salad, pour an equal amount of canned chickpeas into a bowl and add some lemon juice and garlic powder to taste. Then, whisk in your favorite seasonings such as salt and pepper, dried oregano, and parsley.
French fries
While having pasta is always nice, there are times when you just don’t have enough of an appetite for that. In those cases, what you need to do is find something that goes well with eggplant and makes yourself some crispy vegetables to eat it along side.
One of my favorite ways to enjoy eggplant is baked in Italian bread pizza-style topped with tomato sauce and cheese. When I make this recipe, I like to use pre–made pizza dough so that I don’t have to worry about shaping it properly!
If you want to give this recipe style its own, then start mixing up your toppings and see where things take you. Basil, oregano, garlic, chili pepper – anything will work as long as you layer them appropriately.