Gluten-Free Eggplant Parmesan
By America's Test KitchenPublished on May 24, 2019
Time
2¼ hours
Yield
Serves 6 to 8
Ingredients
Eggplant
10 slices (about 10 ounces) gluten-free sandwich bread, torn into quarters2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (1 cup)1 cup cornstarch Salt and pepper 4 large eggs 1 ½ pounds eggplant, sliced into ¼-inch-thick rounds½ cup vegetable oil, plus extra as neededTomato Sauce
3 (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 4 garlic cloves, minced¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes ½ cup chopped fresh basil, plus 10 torn leaves for garnishSalt and pepper 8 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded (2 cups)1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (½ cup)Before You Begin
Be sure to avoid saucing the outer edges of the eggplant slices in step 5 so that they remain crisp once baked. You can use whole-milk or part-skim mozzarella in this recipe. Bread may clump together during toasting; make sure to break it apart into fine crumbs before breading.
Instructions
- For the eggplant: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Process bread in food processor until evenly ground, about 30 seconds (you should have about 4 cups). Spread crumbs in even layer on rimmed baking sheet and bake, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 7 to 10 minutes. Transfer crumbs to shallow dish, breaking up any large clumps into fine crumbs. (Do not turn off oven.) Stir in Parmesan, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Beat eggs in second shallow dish. Combine remaining cornstarch and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in large zipper-lock bag.
- Set wire rack in rimmed baking sheet. Working with half of eggplant slices at a time, place eggplant in bag of cornstarch, seal bag, and shake bag to coat eggplant. Using tongs, remove eggplant pieces from bag, shaking off excess cornstarch, dip in eggs, then coat with bread crumbs, pressing gently to adhere. Place breaded eggplant slices on prepared wire rack.
- Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Cook eggplant in batches until well browned on both sides, about 4 minutes, flipping halfway through cooking; add extra oil to pan as needed. Transfer cooked eggplant to clean wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet.
- For the tomato sauce: Process 2 cans diced tomatoes and their juice in food processor until almost smooth, about 5 seconds. Heat oil, garlic, and pepper flakes in large saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and garlic is light golden, about 2 minutes. Stir in processed tomatoes and remaining can of diced tomatoes and their juice and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce has thickened and reduced to 4 cups, about 15 minutes. Stir in chopped basil and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Spread 1 cup tomato sauce evenly over bottom of 13 by 9-inch baking dish. Layer in half of fried eggplant slices, overlapping slices to fit. Spoon 1 cup sauce over eggplant and sprinkle with 1 cup mozzarella. Layer in remaining eggplant and spoon 1 cup sauce over eggplant, leaving majority of eggplant exposed, then sprinkle with remaining 1 cup mozzarella and Parmesan. Bake until bubbling and cheese is browned, 13 to 15 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes, then scatter torn basil leaves over top and serve, passing remaining 1 cup tomato sauce separately.
Time
2¼ hoursYield
Serves 6 to 8Ingredients
Eggplant
Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
Eggplant
Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
Eggplant
Tomato Sauce
Why This Recipe Works
In past experience with classic recipes, dipping the eggplant slices in flour, then egg, then bread crumbs had always delivered an even, crisp coating that stayed in place. We found replacing the flour with cornstarch worked equally well for a gluten-free version. The coating clung well, and the starch also helped with crispness. The biggest challenge was the bread-crumb coating itself. After trying several options, we settled on making our own fresh crumbs in the food processor. But unlike traditional homemade bread crumbs, those made with store-bought gluten-free bread didn’t coat the eggplant slices evenly. The solution involved both toasting the crumbs and adding some extra ingredients. Traditionally, cooking the coated eggplant before assembling this casserole is key to keeping the coating crisp and in place. The same proved true with our gluten-free version. Baking the breaded slices in the oven was appealingly hands-off, but the eggplant turned out tasting stale. Pan frying won out, with eggplant surrounded by a perfectly light and crunchy golden exterior. Layered with a simple basil-tomato sauce, Parmesan, and mozzarella and then baked, our eggplant remained crisp, tender, and flavorful, yielding better results than most traditional versions.
Before You Begin
Be sure to avoid saucing the outer edges of the eggplant slices in step 5 so that they remain crisp once baked. You can use whole-milk or part-skim mozzarella in this recipe. Bread may clump together during toasting; make sure to break it apart into fine crumbs before breading.
Instructions
- For the eggplant: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Process bread in food processor until evenly ground, about 30 seconds (you should have about 4 cups). Spread crumbs in even layer on rimmed baking sheet and bake, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 7 to 10 minutes. Transfer crumbs to shallow dish, breaking up any large clumps into fine crumbs. (Do not turn off oven.) Stir in Parmesan, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Beat eggs in second shallow dish. Combine remaining cornstarch and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in large zipper-lock bag.
- Set wire rack in rimmed baking sheet. Working with half of eggplant slices at a time, place eggplant in bag of cornstarch, seal bag, and shake bag to coat eggplant. Using tongs, remove eggplant pieces from bag, shaking off excess cornstarch, dip in eggs, then coat with bread crumbs, pressing gently to adhere. Place breaded eggplant slices on prepared wire rack.
- Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Cook eggplant in batches until well browned on both sides, about 4 minutes, flipping halfway through cooking; add extra oil to pan as needed. Transfer cooked eggplant to clean wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet.
- For the tomato sauce: Process 2 cans diced tomatoes and their juice in food processor until almost smooth, about 5 seconds. Heat oil, garlic, and pepper flakes in large saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and garlic is light golden, about 2 minutes. Stir in processed tomatoes and remaining can of diced tomatoes and their juice and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce has thickened and reduced to 4 cups, about 15 minutes. Stir in chopped basil and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Spread 1 cup tomato sauce evenly over bottom of 13 by 9-inch baking dish. Layer in half of fried eggplant slices, overlapping slices to fit. Spoon 1 cup sauce over eggplant and sprinkle with 1 cup mozzarella. Layer in remaining eggplant and spoon 1 cup sauce over eggplant, leaving majority of eggplant exposed, then sprinkle with remaining 1 cup mozzarella and Parmesan. Bake until bubbling and cheese is browned, 13 to 15 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes, then scatter torn basil leaves over top and serve, passing remaining 1 cup tomato sauce separately.
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