Stacked Eggplant with Cheese
Baked Eggplant Stacks Ricotta & Parmesan Cheese is a fun and delicious way to enjoy eggplant! Everyone loves these stacks of eggplant layered with ricotta and parmigiano (or parmesan) cheese and homemade pomodoro sauce.
Servings: 8 servings
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 9x13" 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
Calories: 272kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 36mg | Sodium: 1422mg | Potassium: 551mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 715IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 308mg | Iron: 2mg
