Name: Eggplant Parmigiana I
Ingredients: 2 eggplants, unpeeled, cut into ¼-inch rounds; 2 eggs, lightly beaten; 1½ cups breadcrumbs; ½ teaspoon salt; ⅛ teaspoon pepper; 1 garlic clove, peeled and halved; ¾ cup olive oil; 20 ounces canned tomatoes; ⅓ cup tomato paste; 2 tablespoons minced fresh basil; 1 teaspoon salt; ⅛ teaspoon pepper; 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese; ½ pound mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced

Why it works: Olive and tomato are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 15,539 recipes. Both carry 3-hexenal, which smells apple, fruity. The science ↓

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

Olive + tomatotop 1% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together15,539 recipes

Shared aroma: 3-hexenal (apple, fruity).
Eggplant + basiltop 1% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together271 recipes

Shared aroma: alpha-pinene (pine, turpentine).
Eggplant + garlictop 1% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together801 recipes

Shared aroma: coumarin (sweet, hay).
Tomato + basiltop 1% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together3,979 recipes

Shared aroma: 3-hexenal (apple, fruity).
Garlic + olivetop 2% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together25,665 recipes

Shared aroma: linalool (floral, citrus).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Eggplants: Form the bulk of the dish, becoming soft and tender as they cook and absorb the sauce.
Eggs: Bind the breadcrumb coating so it adheres to the eggplant slices during frying.
Breadcrumbs: Form a crisp, browned coating that protects the eggplant and adds texture.
Canned tomatoes: Provide the main body and acidity of the tomato sauce.
Tomato paste: Concentrates the tomato flavor and thickens the sauce.
Mozzarella cheese: Melts into stretchy layers that bind the dish together and add richness.

The step that matters

Browning the eggplant in oil. Eggplant soaks up oil quickly, so it can turn greasy if the oil is not hot enough or the pan is crowded. Frying in a single layer until golden keeps the slices firm and reduces excess oil before baking.

Swap the clove

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (eggplant, egg, pepper, garlic, olive, tomato, basil):

Oreganofits better
Thymefits better
Parsleyfits better
Clovethe original

Fit is the average pairing score against eggplant, egg, pepper, garlic, olive, tomato, basil. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

Ingredient	Portion assumed	kcal
Flour	1 cup (125g) all-purpose	455
Olive Oil	1 tbsp (14g)	119
Parmesan Cheese	1 oz (28g)	110
Mozzarella Cheese	1 oz (28g)	85
Egg	1 large egg (50g)	78
Eggplant	1 cup cubed (82g)	35
Tomato	1 medium (123g)	22
Clove	1 tsp ground (2g)	7
Black Pepper	1 tsp ground (2.3g)	6
Garlic	1 clove (3g)	4
Basil	5 leaves fresh (2.5g)	1
Salt	1 tsp (6g)	0

Eggplant Parmigiana I