Forget battering or frying individual eggplant slices! This recipe employs a layer of toasted breadcrumbs under a blanket of melty cheese to replicate the flavors and textures of classic eggplant Parmesan in a fraction of the time. At the base of the skillet, pieces of tender seared eggplant are coated in a quick but flavorful tomato sauce, which gets its robust and smoky heat from harissa. One note: Be sure to taste your harissa plain out of the jar first. If it isn’t very spicy, feel free to add a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes to get your sauce property hot.
Any type of eggplant works in this dish, so if your market is stocked with Japanese, Chinese, or graffiti eggplant, feel free to sub those in. You could even opt for tiny fairy tale eggplant; if they’re small enough, simply halve or quarter lengthwise through the stem to preserve their adorable shape.
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What you’ll need
Box Grater
$12 At Amazon
Microplane
$18 At Amazon
Large Skillet
$74 At Amazon
Recipe information
Total Time
45 minutes
Yield
4 servings
Ingredients
5
1
2
1
1
5
¼
¼
1
12
2
Preparation
Step 1
Place a rack in upper third of oven; heat broiler. Heat 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high. Add 1 cup panko and 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt. Cook, stirring often, until panko is golden brown and crisp, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl.
Step 2
Heat ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil in same skillet over medium. Add 1 lb. globe eggplant (about 1 medium), cut into 1" pieces, and cook, tossing occasionally, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle in 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt and cook, stirring often, until eggplant is well browned and tender, 5–7 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl.
Step 3
Heat remaining 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil in same skillet over medium. Add 1 medium onion, finely chopped, and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 4 minutes. Add 5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced, and cook, stirring often, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add ¼ cup harissa and ¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (if using) and cook, stirring often, until slightly darkened in color, about 2 minutes. Add one 28-oz. can crushed tomatoes and cook, stirring often, until sauce is slightly thickened, 5–7 minutes; season with salt.
Step 4
Add eggplant back to pan and stir into sauce. Sprinkle panko evenly over and scatter 12 oz. fresh mozzarella, coarsely grated (about 1½ cups), and 2 oz. Parmesan, finely grated (about 1 cup), on top (cheese should completely cover panko).
Step 5
Broil eggplant parm until cheese is melted and blistered, about 3 minutes. Remove from broiler and top with parsley leaves with tender stems and basil leaves just before serving.