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Eggplant Parmesan II

A baked dish of layered fried eggplant, tomato sauce, mozzarella, basil, and Parmesan cheese.

From the Wikibooks Cookbook · 7 ingredients
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Why it works: Tomato and olive 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 ↓

Eggplant Parmesan II

Oven350 °F (180 °C)
Timeabout 40 minutes

Ingredients

Directions

Prepare the eggplant

  1. Cut eggplants lengthwise into ¼‑inch (0.75 cm) thick slices.

  2. Place the slices in a plate covered with plenty of salt and let stand for about 1 hour. Wash off the excess salt and dry the slices with a paper towel.

  3. While the sauce cooks, heat ½‑inch (1 cm) of olive oil in a frying pan.

  4. When the oil is hot, fry the eggplant slices a few at a time, ensuring they do not overlap.

  5. Cook until golden, flipping once.

  6. Remove the fried eggplant and drain excess oil in a drainer.

  7. Repeat until all slices are cooked.

Make the sauce

  1. Heat olive oil in a pan and cook the sliced onion until soft.

  2. Add the drained whole tomatoes and mash them with a fork.

  3. If the tomatoes are watery, add a small can of tomato paste to thicken the sauce.

  4. Add two basil leaves and simmer for about 20 minutes.

Assemble and bake

  1. Grease an ovenproof baking pan or casserole.

  2. Spread a thin layer of sauce on the bottom.

  3. Layer the fried eggplant slices, slightly overlapping them.

  4. Add basil leaves and a layer of sliced mozzarella.

  5. Continue alternating layers of eggplant, sauce, basil, and mozzarella until all eggplant is used.

  6. Top with remaining tomato sauce and grated Parmesan or Grana Padano.

  7. Bake the assembled dish in the oven at 350 °F (180 °C) for about 40 minutes.

  8. Serve hot.

  9. Leftovers taste better the next day.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

708Calories
35 gProtein
45 gFat
45 gCarbs
What these numbers assume: 10 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Milk1 cup (244ml) whole149
Olive Oil1 tbsp (14g)119
Cheese1 oz (28g) cheddar113
Parmesan Cheese1 oz (28g)110
Mozzarella Cheese1 oz (28g)85
Onion1 medium (110g)44
Eggplant1 cup cubed (82g)35
Plum1 medium (66g)30
Tomato1 medium (123g)22
Basil5 leaves fresh (2.5g)1

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Wikibooks Cookbook.

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

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.

  1. Tomato + olivetop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together15,539 recipes

    Shared aroma: 3-hexenal (apple, fruity).

  2. Eggplant + basiltop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together271 recipes

    Shared aroma: alpha-pinene (pine, turpentine).

  3. Tomato + basiltop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together3,979 recipes

    Shared aroma: 3-hexenal (apple, fruity).

  4. Eggplant + olivetop 2% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together943 recipes

    Shared aroma: alpha-pinene (pine, turpentine).

  5. Mozzarella cheese + cheesetop 2% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together421 recipes

    Shared aroma: ethyl 2-methylbutyrate (fruity, apple).

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 layers, becoming tender and soft when baked.
Fresh cooking tomatoes
Provide the body and acidity of the sauce that moistens the layers.
Mozzarella cheese
Melts into stretchy layers that bind the dish together.
Onion
Softens and adds sweetness to the base of the tomato sauce.
Parmesan or grana padano cheese
Adds salty, savoury flavour and browns on top when baked.

The step that matters

Frying the eggplant slices. Eggplant soaks up oil like a sponge. Frying in a hot oil in small batches without overlapping keeps slices from absorbing too much oil and turning greasy or steamed.

Swap the onion

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (eggplant, tomato, milk, mozzarella cheese, olive, basil, cheese):

  1. Capsicumfits better
  2. Cucumberfits better
  3. Spinachfits better
  4. Onionthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against eggplant, tomato, milk, mozzarella cheese, olive, basil, cheese. 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.

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