Baked Eggplant Parmesan (No-Fry) with Fresh Tomatoes

My baked eggplant Parmesan with melty mozzarella and marinara sauce isn't grandma's traditional eggplant Parmigiana — it's lightened-up, baked instead of fried, and topped off with cherry tomatoes, fresh basil and mozzarella cheese.

📝 Ingredients

• 2 small eggplant ( 1 1/4 pounds)
• 2 egg whites
• 2 teaspoons crumbled dried oregano
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt or 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups panko breadcrumbs
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 cups marinara sauce
• 1/4 pound fresh mozzarella (sliced into half-moons)
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes (in mixed colors if available, halved or quartered)
• 1 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
• Handful fresh basil leaves

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1Preheat the oven to 425 (220 C) degrees. Have a large rimmed rectangular sheet pan and a large baking dish ready.
2. 2Peel the eggplant, or partially peel, leaving stripes of skin here and there. Slice into ¼ inch-thick circles.
3. 3Whisk the egg whites in a large bowl with the oregano, salt and pepper. Put the panko crumbs in another large bowl or shallow pan.
4. 4In 2 or 3 batches, dip the eggplant slices in the egg white mixture so that they're evenly coated, then add to the bowl with the crumbs, tossing around to make sure the crumbs adhere.
5. 5Put the empty sheet pan in the oven for 7 minutes (it will start smoking). Remove from the oven (with oven mitts) and pour enough oil in the pan to a depth of 1/4-inch, about 1/2 cup of oil.
6. 6Immediately arrange the eggplant on the hot pan. Bake for 7 minutes, then turn the pieces over and bake another 5 minutes or until they're nicely golden on the other side.
7. 7Reduce oven temperature to 375 (190 C) degrees. Put the marinara sauce in a large baking dish, then add the eggplant to the dish. Distribute both cheeses over the eggplant and bake 15 minutes.
8. 8Toss the cherry tomatoes with 1 tablespoon extra olive oil, the vinegar and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Tear the basil leaves into strips and gently toss with the tomatoes. Spoon the tomatoes over the baked eggplant and serve.