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    Home » Recipes » Gluten Free

    Gluten Free Eggplant Parmesan

    Published: Jun 27, 2019 · Modified: Mar 4, 2021 by Chhavi Vashisht · 23 Comments

    Yield 4
    Cook 40 minutes minutes
    Prep 5 minutes minutes
    Jump to Recipe
    Glass baking dish containing a spoonful of eggplant parmesan topped with cheese and fresh basil.
    Glass baking dish containing a spoonful of eggplant parmesan topped with cheese and fresh basil.

    Eggplant Parmesan is a classic Italian dish. You'll love this version which is gluten-free, keto-friendly, vegetarian, and low-carb. This is so delightfully delicious that you will make it over and over again!

    Glass baking dish containing a spoonful of eggplant parmesan topped with cheese and fresh basil.

    Sliced roasted eggplant topped with a wonderful tomatoey marinara sauce under a delicious blanket of melted cheese! Sigh! This stuff is what dreams are made of! In my mind, really, there is no possible way for you NOT to love this eggplant parmesan recipe.

    Unless you just really hate eggplant.

    And if you do, it's only because you have not had this easy eggplant parmesan recipe yet. It's a TOTAL game changer!

    With this eggplant parmesan recipe, you don't have to worry about all the unnecessary breading or frying like the classic recipe calls for. In fact, this recipe does away with the salting, waiting, and draining steps, too.

    Eggplant

    Eggplant, also known as aubergine or brinjal, is a fruit. If we're getting technical, it's actually classified as a berry.

    I know, right? Who would have thought!

    Did you know that by eating eggplant you can lower your blood pressure? It also contains vitamin E. Eating eggplant can also help reduce inflammation in the body. Eggplant also contains iron, which helps fight anemia. So to me, eggplant is a superfood I want in my diet on a regular basis.

    What's the Difference Between Eggplant Parmigiana and Eggplant Parmesan?

    You may have heard this dish referred to as both "eggplant parmigiana" and "eggplant parmesan". So what's the difference? Is it the same thing?

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    Pretty much, yeah. But there's a bit of drama around this dish.

    There's a lot of interesting history around this dish. The first recipe for Eggplant Parmesan originates back to 1837.  Some people refer to this recipe as "parmigiana" because it was originally made with parmigiano cheese and Parma is a city in northern Italy where this type of cheese originated. But if you do your research, a lot of people say this dish originated in southern Italy. Italians and Sicilians still argue today as to who truly invented the eggplant parmesan dish. It was also known as a "dish of the poor" because it's made with simple and readily available ingredients.

    Ingredients

    Speaking of those readily available ingredients to make this recipe, all you need are the following:

    • Eggplant
    • Olive Oil
    • Marinara Sauce
    • Fresh Grated Parmesan Cheese
    • Mozzarella Cheese
    • Fresh Basil Leaves

    2 eggplants, mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, marinara sauce, olive oil, and fresh basil on a cutting board.

    How to Make Gluten-Free Eggplant Parmesan

    You're only 3 steps away from having this healthy baked eggplant parmesan recipe on your dinner table!

    • Step 1- Slice & Grill the Eggplants. Slice the eggplants about ½ inch thick. Brush with olive oil and bake for about 20 minutes.

    Sliced eggplant brushed with olive oil on a baking dish.

    •  Step 2 - Layer the Eggplant, Tomato Sauce, and Cheese. Now comes the fun part. Layering the cheese, tomato sauce, and grilled eggplant slices.
    Baked eggplant topped with mozzarella and Parmesan cheese in a glass baking dish.
    Baked eggplant topped with mozzarella and Parmesan cheese in a glass baking dish.
    • Step 3- Bake the Eggplants. Bake the dish for 20 minutes. To get that extra golden melted cheese, broil on high for 10 minutes.

    Baked eggplant topped with mozzarella and Parmesan cheese in a glass baking dish.

    Once you pull the dish out of the oven, let it cool for about 5 minutes. Then grab a fork and dig in!

     Expert Tips & Tricks For Gluten-Free Eggplant Parmesan

    • Authentic Italian Dish - Eggplant parmigiana originated in Italy and is considered an authentic Italian recipe.
    • Healthy - This recipe is a low-carb dish that is healthy and high in protein. It's also a great vegetarian and keto recipe.
    • Marinara Sauce - Use your favorite marinara sauce or better yet, make it on your own. Here are some great recipes for Roasted tomato sauce, Quick Cherry Tomato sauce and Instant Pot Marinara Sauce.
    • Eggplants - Use large purple eggplants for this recipe that are ripe. Ripe eggplants are firm and have a shiny skin. Make sure to slice the eggplants about 1 cm thick. This will make sure that they still hold their shape after baking. If you tend to get very bitter eggplants where you live, feel free to salt the eggplant with 1 Tablespoon of salt and draining the moisture and bitterness out of it.
    • Make Ahead - You can prepare the various pieces, marinara sauce, grilled eggplant, and grated cheese ahead of time and assemble and bake half an hour before serving.
    • Leftovers - Save the leftovers in the fridge covered with Saran wrap for up to 2-3 days.
    • Freezer Friendly - Can you freeze this eggplant parmesan? YES! Just pull it out of the freezer and thaw on the counter. Once completely thawed, bake and enjoy.
    • Pairings - I usually eat this dish by itself,  but it goes FAMOUSLY with some pasta or a buttered hunk of gluten free bread. If you're not gluten free, sourdough is the best with this dish!

    If you loved this recipe then give it a star review! Also, snap a picture of your finished dish and share it with me on Instagram using the hashtag #recipesworthrepeating and #yellowthyme and tagging me @yellowthyme and @recipesworthrepeating.

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    Glass baking dish containing a spoonful of eggplant parmesan topped with cheese and fresh basil.

    Eggplant Parmesan

    Eggplant Parmesan that's gluten free, vegetarian, and low carb. This is so delightfully delicious that you will make it over and over again!
    5 from 10 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Italian
    Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 40 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 45 minutes minutes
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 207kcal
    Author: Amanda Mason

    Ingredients

    • 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
    • 1 Eggplant
    • 1 cup Marinara Sauce
    • 1 cup Mozzarella cheese
    • ½ cup Parmesan Cheese
    • 10-15 Fresh Basil Leaves

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 200 C/400 F
    • Slice the eggplant into 1 cm round slices. Brush them with the olive oil.
    • Place the eggplant slices on a baking dish. Bake for 15 minutes on one side. Flip and bake for another 10 minutes on the other side.
    • In a flat dish, spread a ⅓ of the marinara sauce onto the eggplant.
    • Then, place another layer of eggplant slices on the marinara sauce. Top it with a Tablespoon of marinara sauce and shredded mozzarella cheese.
    • Sandwich it with another eggplant slice. Top with rest of the mozzarella cheese.
    • Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese on top.
    • Bake for 15 minutes at 180 C/356 F.
    • Broil for 10 minutes until the cheese is slightly brown.
    • Take out of the oven, top with shredded basil leaves and serve.

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    Nutrition

    Calories: 207kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 31mg | Sodium: 699mg | Potassium: 498mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 630IU | Vitamin C: 6.8mg | Calcium: 308mg | Iron: 1.1mg
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    About Chhavi Vashisht

    Hi! I am Chhavi over at Yellow Thyme. I am a Mommy to a small little boy, an unapologetic foodie, self taught and self proclaimed Cook & Food Photographer. Yellow Thyme is my little culinary corner where I share some old, some new, little wacky, at times decadent and mostly healthy recipes.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      5 from 10 votes

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      Recipe Rating




       

    1. Jagruti Dhanecha

      July 09, 2019 at 10:41 am

      5 stars
      Love eggplant and this Italian dish sound so delicious, easy and tasty.

      Reply
      • Amanda Mason

        July 12, 2019 at 10:27 pm

        Super easy and so tasty, Jagruti!! Enjoy!

        Reply
    2. Claire | The Simple, Sweet Life

      July 07, 2019 at 9:57 pm

      I've never made eggplant parmesan but have always wanted to give it a try! This recipe looks like the perfect motivation to do so!

      Reply
      • Amanda Mason

        July 08, 2019 at 8:01 am

        Awesome, Claire! I cant wait to hear how you like it!

        Reply
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