Baked Eggplant Stacks with Ricotta & Parmesan
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These Baked Eggplant Stacks with Ricotta & Parmesan are packed with layers of tender eggplant, creamy cheese, and rich tomato sauce for an Italian-inspired meal. The result is a cozy, cheesy dish that’s full of flavor without the need for frying.
If you love eggplant try this Eggplant Pasta Sauce, Sauteed Italian Eggplant, and this Grilled Eggplant next!
Quick Look: Baked Eggplant Stacks
- Prep Time: 1 hour and 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour and 50 minutes
- Servings: 8
- Dietary Info: Vegetarian
- Method: Oven-baked eggplant + layered assembly + final bake
- Technique: Salt and bake eggplant slices until tender and crisp, then layer with ricotta, parmesan, and tomato sauce before baking
- Flavor/Texture: Crispy, creamy, cheesy, savory, herby, rich
Why You’ll Love This Family Favorite!
When we go to Italy every summer to visit family we have eggplants coming out our ears from all the fresh fruit and vegetable markets! We are always looking for different ways to use eggplant in simple ways.
These eggplant stacks layer crispy oven-baked, panko-crusted eggplant with creamy ricotta, fresh basil, and homemade tomato sauce. Baking instead of frying keeps things lighter (and less messy!), though I’m definitely a fan of the classic fried version too.
Try my classic Eggplant Parmigiana Recipe next.
Made With Amore,
“Love this recipe! The eggplant is so crispy and the recipe is easy to follow. My favorite eggplant recipe!”
– Ashley
Table of Contents
Simple Ingredients
This baked eggplant stacks recipe uses fresh, simple, and flavorful ingredients to create a super tasty dish.
- Tomato Sauce: My top choice is my Homemade Italian Tomato Sauce. There’s just something about the flavors but if time is short, you can also use your favorite jar of marinara sauce.
- Eggplant: Look for eggplant that are firm, a solid color all the way to the stem, and free of any soft or brown spots.
- Ricotta: I substitute whole milk ricotta cheese for the traditional mozzarella in eggplant parmesan. I recommend using a full fat, good quality brand. Inexpensive ricotta or part skim ricotta will be more watery, have a grainy texture, and be less dense. We’re going to whip the ricotta which gives it an extra creamy texture, that’s almost silky.
- Parmigiano: Parmesan cheese adds a nutty flavor and melted cheese element to the eggplant stacks. Buy a block of a good quality Parmigiano Reggiano and grate it yourself!
- Breadcrumbs: I use a mix of panko and traditional breadcrumbs. Like in my Air Fryer Fried Calamari, panko gives the eggplant a golden, ultra-crispy crust, while regular breadcrumbs add that classic flavor I love. Together, they create the perfect crunchy contrast to the soft, creamy layers of ricotta and red sauce. Feel free to use just one or the other based on your preference! Use the leftover pankto to try some other favorites like Baked Cod with Panko or Fried Butterfly Shrimp.
See recipe card for the full list of ingredients and quantities.
Variations & Substitutions
- Different Vegetables: This recipe also works with zucchini. Simply cut them lengthwise and use the same process. Try my Stuffed Zucchini for another cheesy variation!
- Make it Meaty: Layer a piece of prosciutto between the eggplant stack layers or add cooked crumbled Italian sausage and ground beef to your sauce.
- More Seasoning: Add Italian Seasoning or garlic powder to the whipped ricotta for more flavor.
- Different Sauce: Experiment with layering in different flavors by swapping the traditional Italian pasta sauce with a Spicy Spaghetti Sauce or a quick homemade Tomato Paste Pasta Sauce.
How To Make Baked Eggplant Stacks
These eggplant stacks are an easy Italian favorite! Follow the step-by step photos and see the recipe card at the bottom for a printable version.
- To get started, slice your eggplant and preheat the oven to 400°F. Place the eggplant slices on baking sheets lined with double layers of paper towels. Sprinkle with kosher salt and let them sit out at room temperature for 1 hour. Pat dry with a clean paper towel to remove liquid the salt draws out.
- Dip each slice of eggplant in the flour on both sides. Then lightly toss in the egg mixture. Last, coat with the parmigiano cheese and breadcrumb mixture.
Note: Many modern eggplant varieties are produced to be less bitter than eggplants in the past, so you can skip this step if you know the eggplant variety you are using does not have a lot of extra moisture.
- Place the breaded eggplant on your baking tray and bake in your preheated oven for about 15 minutes until crispy.
- Place the ricotta cheese, parmesan, salt, and fresh basil in a blender or food processor and pulse on high until creamy and thick.
- Coat the bottom of your baking pan with a couple of ladles of tomato sauce. Then, lay down the slices of eggplant in a single layer and spoon a little sauce on each.
- Top each stack with a healthy serving of ricotta and a little grated parmesan. Repeat layering with eggplant round topped with the sauce and ricotta mixture. Bake until heated through and garnish with fresh basil.
Baked Eggplant Stacks FAQs
It depends. Today, most modern eggplant varieties are produced to be less bitter than eggplants in the past, so you can often skip this step as long as you know the eggplant variety you are using does not have a lot of extra moisture that causes the bitterness.
Absolutely! Make the tomato sauce up to 2-3 days ahead of time or freeze it if you need to store it for longer. The ricotta mixture also can be can be made a couple days ahead of time. For the eggplant, you can prep bread it earlier in the day and then refrigerate them until about an hour before you’re ready to eat. Another option is to bread and bake the slices up to a day ahead, and then assemble and finish bake again before serving. .
After they are cool, store the eggplant stacks in the fridge in an airtight container. They will last 2-4 days in the fridge. You can also freeze them as long as they are kept in a freezer bag. To reheat, place them in a baking dish, cover with foil, and bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes, or until well-heated.
Serving Suggestions
These eggplant stacks work as an appetizer, side, or main! Pair them with a simple arugula salad drizzled with Balsamic Dressing for a delicious vegetarian main. They also make a great side dish to accompany these Italian Stuffed Chicken Thighs when served alongside a slice of fresh Homemade No Knead Bread.
If you have leftovers, turn them into a sandwich, between slices of Italian Focaccia Bread.
My Pro Tips
Recipe Tips
- Remove excess liquid from the eggplant. This will take away any bitter taste and won’t make the recipe soggy since eggplant is mostly made up of water!
- Whip the ricotta cheese. This makes the filling irresistibly smooth!
- Use panko breadcrumbs. They’re the secret ingredient for extra crunch.
More Vegetarian Dinner Recipes
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Stacked Eggplant with Cheese
Ingredients
For the Eggplant
- 2 eggplants, sliced into ⅓” slices, about 8 per eggplant
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt, 1 tsp per sheet pan to salt the eggplant
For the Breading
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- 3 large eggs, beaten
- ½ cup parmigiano or parmesan cheese, grated
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- ½ cup regular breadcrumbs
- 3 ½ cups Italian tomato sauce, Sugo de pomodoro
- Salt and Pepper to taste
For the Whipped Ricotta
- 15 oz whole milk ricotta
- ½ cup parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil for garnish
Instructions
Salt the Eggplant
- Slice the eggplants each into 8 slices (16 total), approximately ⅓” thick.
- Lay eggplant slices side by side on a baking sheet. Salt the eggplant (1 tsp for each pan) and cover with two layers of paper towels.
- Let rest for 1 hour. After 1 hour, dry completely with paper towel as much as possible.
Bread the Eggplant
- Preheat oven to 400°. Coat a 9×13″ baking sheet with 1 tablespoon of olive oil or spray with baking spray. Or, line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Place the flour in its own shallow dish.
- Beat the eggs into a wide shallow bowl and set aside.
- Combine both breadcrumbs and cheese into another shallow bowl.
- Dip each side of each eggplant slice first in flour, then into beaten eggs and finally the cheese and breadcrumb mixture. Move to a prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 15-18 minutes, flipping halfway through, until crispy. Cool.
Whip the Ricotta
- Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor and pulse on high until creamy and thick- a couple of minutes.
Assemble the Stacks
- Pour one cup of tomato sauce in the bottom of prepared baking pan.
- Layer half of the eggplant slices on the sauce.
- Top with 2 tablespoons of sauce and 2 tablespoons whipped ricotta. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon parmigiano cheese. Repeat process with final layer.
- Bake in 400° oven for 20 minutes until cheese is melted. Sprinkle with basil and serve!
Notes
- Remove excess liquid from the eggplant. This will take away any bitter taste and won’t make the recipe soggy since eggplant is mostly made up of water!
- Whip the ricotta cheese. This makes the filling irresistibly smooth!
- Use panko breadcrumbs. They’re the secret ingredient for extra crunch.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This recipe is delicious! Definitely a 5 star. I made 8 stacks with 4 layers of eggplant in each one. I also made a quick cherry tomato sauce with our tomatoes. I will definitely make this recipe again. We have plenty for leftovers
Yay! So happy you loved one so much. I love that you could use fresh garden tomatoes for the sauce. Yum!
I made this the other night and it was delicious. A fancier and tastier version of my usual eggplant parm. Since it was just for me and my husband, I had so much left over and I put the leftovers in the freezer to have another time. Iโm already looking forward to it!
Yay! So happy you loved this yummy summer recipe. Many more eggplant recipes to try on my website. Enjoy the leftovers- I love a 2 for 1 meal :).
Do you recommend added egg and salt/pepper to the ricotta mixture before whipping?ricotta have any other seasoning added before whipping?
No, you can just whip the ricotta on its own first. Enjoy!
Made this yesterday, it was delicious.
I’m so happy you loved it!
Love this recipe! The eggplant is so crispy and the recipe is easy to follow. My favorite eggplant recipe!
Happy you love this family recipe!
This was delicious, but next time I’ll peel the eggplant.
Yes, that is based on personal preference. In general in Italian cooking, we leave the skin on when cooking with eggplant.
Easy recipe, very delicious and packed with flavor.
Glad you loved it!
OMG!!!!! Soooo good!!! Added garlic powder and italian seasoning and crushed red pepper to the ricotta
Yumm- love the spice kick!