Step 1

Begin by preparing the eggplant. Place the eggplant rounds on a large baking sheet and sprinkle with kosher salt.

Step 2

Massage the salt into the eggplant rounds and set aside. Let the eggplant sit for at least 1 hour.*

Step 3

Prepare the homemade marinara sauce. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to a pot and heat over medium/high heat.

Step 4

When the olive oil is fragrant add the white onion and minced garlic to the pot and sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon salt. Sauté for 2-3 minutes.

Step 5

Add the rest of the sauce ingredients to the pot and stir. Bring the saue to a boil and then turn the heat down to low and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat.

Step 6

Once the eggplant has sat for at least an hour, rinse each eggplant round under water to remove the salt. Pat dry and set aside.

Step 7

Preheat the oven to 400ºF and grease a 9×13-inch casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.

Step 8

Prepare the eggplant parmesan rounds. In a large bowl, combine breadcrumbs, ½ cup grated parmesan, garlic powder, dried thyme and ¼ teaspoon salt. Mix to combine. In a medium bowl, whisk 2 eggs.

Step 9

Dip each eggplant round in the egg wash, letting the excess egg drip off. Then, dredge the eggplant in the breadcrumb mixture. Make sure that each eggplant round is fully coated.

Step 10

Heat 1/2 tablespoon olive oil in a large frying pan over medium/low heat. When the olive oil is fragrant, add 3 to 4 eggplant rounds (depending on how big your pan is). Let cook for around 1-2 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Set aside. Repeat this step until all the eggplant rounds are golden brown.

Step 11

Assemble eggplant parmesan. Scoop ½ cup of marinara sauce and place it in the bottom of the greased casserole dish. Spread the sauce across the bottom of the dish.

Step 12

Next, place half of the eggplant on top of the sauce and then cover the eggplant with half of the mozzarella slices. Add 1.5 cups of marinara sauce to the top of the mozzarella slices and spread it out evenly. Repeat this step.

Step 13

Sprinkle the last ¼ cup of parmesan over the top of the eggplant parmesan and place it into the oven and bake for 20-22 minutes or until the mozzarella on top of the eggplant parmesan is melted.

Step 14

Remove from the oven and let the eggplant parmesan rest for 10 minutes.

Step 15

Serve with fresh parsley sprinkled on top.