Make hasselback eggplant Parmesan in minutes with this easy method. Eggplant, tomatoes, mozzarella and basil feature in this new take on the classic.
It’s basically impossible to make eggplant Parmesan on a weeknight. Unless you try this method. It takes about 5 minutes to assemble, then throw it in the oven while you prepare the rest of the meal (or sit down with a new issue of Food & Wine and a glass of wine!). It’s also a lot lighter than the original because the eggplant isn’t fried. And as an added bonus, there’s only on dish to clean and no messy kitchen from all that frying.
I first made this dish last year when a recipe for it appeared in my CSA newsletter. When I got eggplant a couple weeks ago, this hasselback eggplant Parmesan immediately came to mind, but the recipe wasn’t included this year. But it’s really pretty easy so I reinvented it based on my memory of the dish. We had it as a side, but it could absolutely be a meatless main dish. I had enough leftover for two lunches (yum!)
And by the way, if you aren’t familiar with Hasselback, it basically means to slice the eggplant but not cut all the way to the bottom. It’s a very popular way to cook potatoes as well; I like this simple recipe from Kevin is Cooking.
- 1 whole eggplant, stem trimmed
- 1 cup marinara sauce
- 8 oz. fresh mozzarella, sliced
- 1 medium tomato, sliced
- about 10 fresh basil leaves
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- Extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- Preheat oven to 375F.
- Slice the eggplant hasselback-style - slice the eggplant into ¼-inch thick slices, stopping about ¼ inch before reaching the bottom of he eggplant. The eggplant should stay in one piece.
- Spread the marinara sauce in the bottom of a baking dish large enough to comfortable hold the eggplant.
- Place on slice of mozzarella in the first cut of the eggplant. Place a slice of tomato and 2 basil leaves in the next. Continue, alternating mozzarella and tomato/basil until all slices are filled.
- Place the eggplant on top of the sauce. Sprinkle the garlic over the eggplant and drizzle with about 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
- Cover tightly with foil and bake for 40 minutes.
- Meanwhile combine the panko and Parmesan in a small dish.
- After 40 minutes, uncover the eggplant and sprinkle with the panko mixture. Return to the oven and bake until panko is golden brown, about 5-10 minutes.
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