Baked gratin eggplants, a variation to the baked gratin onions equally quick and tasty to prepare and perfect to serve as a side dish. An easy recipe with a twist on the usual breading. There are many versions online: with parsley, basil, anchovies, and capers. In this recipe, besides breadcrumbs, grated cheese, and garlic, I’ve added tomato sauce to make this side dish more colorful and flavorful. Alternatively, you can also use fresh diced tomatoes without seeds. It’s a great recipe to use the top and bottom of the tomato that are often left over when you need to slice the vegetable. This side dish can also become a great tasty appetizer that can be prepared in advance and consumed even warm or reheated for a few seconds in the air fryer or microwave. Now, follow me into the kitchen, because the baked gratin eggplants will be ready in a click!
If you’re interested in other eggplant side dish recipes, also read:
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Very Cheap
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 4 people
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Summer
- Energy 138.83 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 13.03 (g) of which sugars 2.29 (g)
- Proteins 6.11 (g)
- Fat 7.39 (g) of which saturated 2.91 (g)of which unsaturated 1.64 (g)
- Fibers 2.50 (g)
- Sodium 159.32 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 45 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 1 eggplant
- 1/4 cup breadcrumbs
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup tomato sauce
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- dried oregano (to taste)
Tools
- Cutting Board
- Knife
- Baking Pan
- Parchment Paper
- Bowl
Steps
First, wash the eggplant, remove the stem, and slice it into rounds 1/4 inch thick. Then place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and score the surface with a knife.
Separately, clean a clove of garlic by removing the less digestible inner part and finely chop it. Then mix the grated cheese with the breadcrumbs, chopped garlic, tomato sauce, and oregano in a bowl until you get a grainy and slightly moist mixture, so it remains slightly compact even after baking.
Then distribute a tablespoon of breading over the eggplant slices, add a drizzle of oil on the surface.
Bake in a static oven at 356°F for 20 minutes or until the surface is golden.
Variations and Tips
Grilled eggplants can be stored in the refrigerator for one or two days in a container with a lid. You can also replace oregano with freshly chopped basil or parsley.
