The mini eggplant parmesan in the air fryer is a light, quick, and really practical variation of the classic parmesan. They are delightful single portions, ideal to serve as a main dish or a tasty second course, perfect even for lunches and dinners with guests due to their neat and individual presentation. They are tasty, cheesy, and adorable to serve.
This version stands out for its lightness: the eggplants are cooked in an air fryer with just one spray of oil, completely avoiding traditional frying and making the dish more digestible and less caloric, yet equally delicious. Additionally, the air fryer cooking is quick and effective, allowing you to bring homemade mini parmesan to the table in no time and with few ingredients.
A great advantage of this recipe is its convenience: each mini parmesan is already portioned, ready to serve without needing to cut or divide, making it perfect also for those who love organizing lunches or dinners without stress.
If you prefer, you can also cook the eggplants in the oven or in the pan: you will find all the alternatives with temperatures and times in the procedure below. The final cooking of the mini parmesan can also be done in the oven: in this case, it will require more degrees and a few more minutes compared to the air fryer, but the result will still be excellent.
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- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Cheap
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 4Pieces
- Cooking methods: Air Frying
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 1 black oval eggplant
- 14 oz tomato sauce
- 1 clove garlic
- 4 oz pizza mozzarella
- to taste grated parmesan
- to taste salt
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
Tools
- Air Fryer
Steps
Let’s start by preparing a simple yet flavorful tomato sauce: sauté a clove of garlic with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil in a large pan. Once golden, add the tomato sauce and let it cook on low heat for about 30-45 minutes, until the sauce thickens well. At the end of cooking, add a pinch of salt.
In the meantime, cut a black oval eggplant into slices about half a cm. Arrange the slices in the basket of the air fryer without overlapping them, add a pinch of salt and a spray of oil, and cook at 356°F for 15 minutes, turning them only in the last two minutes to brown the bottom well.
You can also cook the eggplants in other ways:
– in the oven at 374°F for about 25 minutes with a drizzle of oil;
– in a pan grilling them on a hot griddle;
– or fry them with plenty of sunflower oil for a more traditional result.
Once ready, we move on to assembling the mini parmesan. Use silicone muffin molds about 3-4 inches in diameter. At the bottom, sprinkle some parmesan, a teaspoon of sauce, a slice of eggplant, more sauce, parmesan, and pizza mozzarella cubes, continuing to layer until the mold is filled (usually, you can make 3-4 layers, depending on depth).
Cook in the air fryer at 374°F for 7 minutes. Alternatively, bake in a static oven preheated to 392°F for about 15 minutes, until golden.
Once ready, let them cool slightly and then invert the molds directly onto the plate: the mini parmesan will take on a really nice tower shape. Finish with a few fresh basil leaves and serve. Enjoy your meal!
Tips for You
✔ You can cook everything in a pan creating a classic eggplant parmesan without single portions: just assemble everything in a pan about 8×8 inches and cook in the air fryer. In this case, I recommend cooking at 356°F for about 8-10 minutes.
✔ The cooking of the eggplants in the air fryer can be easily replaced with the classic frying.
✔ If you want, you can completely omit the mozzarella, or add the ingredients you prefer.
✔ For this recipe, I used the air fryer COSORI 4.7 which you can find on Amazon clicking here.
Don’t miss the latest recipe of the 👉 baked bananas or in air fryer: it will change your snack or breakfast!
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