Vegan Eggplant Parmesan

For some reason, eggplant used to intimidate me. Its floppy texture, neutral taste, and seemingly over-involved cooking methods made me think it would be something I’d never master.

I was wrong.

Since getting my hands on my first eggplant last year, it’s become one of my absolute favorite fruits (yes, fruit, even though it’s a vegetable in my book).

Two of my absolute favorite recipes utilizing eggplant have been my Cashew-less Vegan Queso and my Eggplant and Caramelized Onion Dip. It’s neutral flavor helps it absorb flavors extremely well, and depending on how you cook it, its texture is extremely versatile – from super creamy to super crisp.

And in this little gem of a recipe, it’s crispy to the max! Before we dive into the recipe, let’s learn about eggplant parmesan and where it comes from.

Origins of Eggplant Parmesan

Eggplant parmesan (or parmigiana di malanzane) is an Italian casserole dish made with fried eggplant slices, tomato sauce, and cheese.

It’s exact origin, however, is hotly debated! Some claim it was invented in Sicily, while others claim it comes from Naples, Puglia, or Calabria. You can read more about its history here.

The following version is not traditional, but a simplified, dairy and egg-free twist that skips the extra step of turning it into a casserole and instead serves the crispy fried eggplant slices with a side of marinara.

Vegan Eggplant Parmesan

This recipe was inspired by one of my favorite food bloggers, Izy from Top with Cinnamon. It’s straight out of her beautiful new cookbook, Top With Cinnamon.

Although it’s not a vegan cookbook, it has a lot of recipes that can be easily adapted to a vegan diet. And when I laid my eyes on her crispy aubergine pesto pasta, I knew it was the one for me.

This recipe took a few tries to get just right sans egg, but I think I’ve done it (simply)!

It requires just 10 ingredients, employs easy methods, and takes a little more than 1 hour from start to finish. It is a little bit more involved than some savory meals I’ve cooked, but it’s one that John and I both love and crave, so it’s worth the extra time and effort!

I think you guys are going to LOVE this recipe! It’s:

Comforting
Crispy
Warm
Rich
Flavorful
Saucy
Delicious
Satisfying
& Simple!

I knew this recipe was a winner when I served it to John and he literally went back for seconds before I could! I love it when happy meal discoveries like that happen.

More Delicious Eggplant Recipes

• Perfect Roasted Eggplant (Tender, Caramelized!)
• Easy Ratatouille (Versatile, 1 Pot!)
• Easy Vegan Moussaka
• Jamaican Jerk Grilled Eggplant (30 Minutes!)

If you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it as much as we did! As always, tag us on Instagram with #minimalistbaker or Twitter @minimalistbaker if you do. Cheers!

Vegan Eggplant Parmesan

Simple 10-ingredient vegan parmesan that yields perfectly crispy, savory eggplant that pairs perfectly with red sauce and the pasta of your choice! A healthy filling dinner even picky eaters will love.

Author Minimalist Baker

Print SAVE SAVED

4.89 from 210 votes

Prep Time 45 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Servings 2

Course Entrée

Cuisine Gluten-Free, Italian-Inspired, Vegan

Freezer Friendly No

Does it keep? Best when fresh

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

US Customary – Metric

EGGPLANT PARMESAN

• 1 medium eggplant (as narrow as possible)*
• 1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour (or other flour of choice – GF for gluten-free eaters)
• 1 cup panko breadcrumbs (GF for gluten-free eaters)
• 2 Tbsp vegan parmesan (plus more for serving // or sub 1 Tbsp nutritional yeast per 2 Tbsp vegan parmesan)
• 1 tsp dried oregano (or double the amount if using fresh oregano)
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 cup unsweetened plain almond milk (or other neutral milk)
• 1 tsp cornstarch

PASTA + SAUCE

• 8 ounces pasta (such as linguini, but any kind will do, including veggie noodles or gluten-free)
• 2 cups marinara sauce

Instructions

• Slice eggplant into thin rounds slightly less than 1/2 inch thick, and sprinkle each side liberally with sea salt. Arrange in a circular pattern in a colander and place in the sink to draw out the bitter taste of the eggplant.
• Let rest for 15 minutes, then rinse and arrange on a clean absorbent kitchen towel. Top with another clean dish towel and lay a baking sheet on top. Place something heavy on top, such as a cast iron skillet, to thoroughly dry for at least 10 minutes.
• In the meantime, preheat oven to 400 degrees F (204 C) and line a baking sheet with foil and spritz with nonstick spray. Also, if making pasta, bring water to a boil in a large saucepan.
• Prepare your dipping stations by placing almond milk + cornstarch in one bowl; flour in another bowl; and bread crumbs + sea salt + oregano + vegan parmesan (or nutritional yeast) in another bowl.
• Once thoroughly dry, dip eggplant slices in flour, then almond milk mixture, then breadcrumbs. Arrange on the baking sheet and pop in oven to bake for a total of 20-30 minutes.
• IMPORTANT STEP: While the eggplant is in the oven, bring a large skillet to medium heat. Once hot, add 2 Tbsp olive oil (or sub avocado oil // adjust amount if altering default number of servings) and pull 3-4 eggplant rounds out of the oven at a time and sauté to give them extra crisp and texture. Cook for ~2 minutes on each side (or browned) and then return to oven to continue crisping. Do this in batches until all rounds are browned.
• While eggplant is browning in the oven, prepare marinara. I prefer adding my tomato sauce and spices to a serving bowl and microwaving to warm, but you could also heat it on the stove. Set aside.
• Once done cooking, drain pasta and cover with a towel to keep warm. Set aside.
• To serve: Plate pasta and eggplant slices and marinara in a dish as a dipping sauce. Additional vegan parmesan cheese makes an excellent topper.
• Leftovers don’t really reheat well, so it’s best when fresh. See notes for additional tips on crispy eggplant!

Video

Notes

*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated with whole wheat pasta.
*EGGPLANT TIPS!
– Buy a narrow eggplant – the really big wide ones don’t get as crisp!
– Don’t skip the salt / drain step – it really helps draw out the bitterness.
– Once coated, make sure you get the eggplant in the oven as quickly as possible so it doesn’t sit there absorbing any excess moisture.
*Loosely adapted from the Crispy Aubergine Pesto Pasta from Top with Cinnamon’s new Cookbook!
– Really press down on the eggplant after rinsing to ensure you get all of the water out you can.
– Although it’s an extra step, browning the eggplant in the skillet in addition to baking yields the crispiest result!

Nutrition (1 of 2 servings)

Serving: 1 serving Calories: 654 Carbohydrates: 125.7 g Protein: 21.5 g Fat: 11.2 g Saturated Fat: 1.8 g Polyunsaturated Fat: 4.5 g Monounsaturated Fat: 3.2 g Trans Fat: 0 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Sodium: 1455 mg Potassium: 1801 mg Fiber: 20.2 g Sugar: 32.8 g Vitamin A: 332 IU Vitamin C: 36 mg Calcium: 225 mg Iron: 6.2 mg