Baked Eggplant Parmesan with Burrata

Burrata with olive oil, tomato sauce, eggplant, and garlic cloves

Los Angeles has really been heating up this week, creeping its way into the 90s, which makes quick meals like this Baked Eggplant Parmesan with Burrata a relief. Most nights I've been leaning towards smaller meals and snacks as opposed to a full meal. Once the temperatures drop in the evening, I'll sit outside and munch on some salad, or vegetables, along with a glass of lemonade. On warm LA evenings, when the weather just barely starts to cool, all I really want is some crispy eggplant topped with cheese! Instead of frying the eggplant, I bake it, which still makes it crispy and golden, and is a lighter alternative for the summer.

Dip the eggplant in egg, and coat with breadcrumbs

Crispy baked eggplant, fresh burrata, tomato sauce

Quick tomato sauce, fresh burrata, and sweet balsamic to top it off - super hearty and delicious. You could serve this as an appetizer alongside some Fusilli Pasta with Pesto, or as a full evening meal.

If you can't find fresh burrata, no worries! Soft mozzarella or even a sprinkle of grated parmesan will work just fine. Bake for 30-35 minutes until the eggplant is tender and cooked to crispy goodness!

baked eggplant parmesan with burrata

A few notes if you've never cooked with eggplant before:

1. Make sure to salt the eggplant on both sides, and let drain on a paper towel before cooking. This gets some of the extra water out and makes it tender.

2. Removing the skin is optional and completely up to you. Sometimes I'll peel it halfway, taking off long stripes of skin, leaving the other half to help keep it's shape. For this recipe, I leave the eggplant unpeeled.

3. Once the eggplant is tender and easy to slice through, it's done!

Baked Eggplant Parmesan with Burrata

ingredients

• 1 large eggplant, sliced into disks, about 1/4 inch thick

• 1 cup plain breadcrumbs

• 2 eggs

• ⅓ cup grated parmesan

• pinch of salt and pepper

• 1 cup fresh burrata, (or 2 balls of fresh mozzarella)

• 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar

• 3 tbsp olive oil

  For the Tomato Sauce

• 1 cup crushed or whole canned tomatoes

• 2 cloves of garlic

• 1 bunch of basil, coarsely chopped

• 1 pinch salt, to taste

• 1 pinch pepper, to taste

method

For the Tomato Sauce

1. In a medium pan, combine the tomatoes, garlic, basil, salt, and pepper. Simmer over medium-low heat for 15 minutes until thickened. Adjust seasoning to taste, and set aside.

For the Eggplant

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

   Lay the sliced eggplant onto a paper towel, and salt generously on both sides. Cover with another paper towel, and let drain for about 30 minutes. This removes some of the excess water from the eggplant and makes it more tender.

   Meanwhile, combine the breadcrumbs, parmesan, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. In another bowl, beat the eggs, and set aside.

2. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Dip the eggplant slices in the egg and shake off any excess. Coat the eggplant slices with the breadcrumb mixture, pressing into the slices to fully cover the eggplant, and shake off excess.

   (Depending on the size of the eggplant, you will probably have some extra egg and breadcrumb mixture)

3. Place coated eggplant slices on the baking sheet, and bake for around 30-35 minutes, turning halfway through, until golden brown.

4. Top each slice with tomato sauce and burrata, and drizzle with olive and balsamic vinegar.