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This cheesy Stuffed Eggplant Parmesan recipe takes everything you love about traditional eggplant parm but is made easy and gluten free! Creamy ricotta is stuffed inside tender shells of eggplant and topped with a tangy sauce and plenty of melted mozzarella and Parmesan for a flavorful side dish or vegetarian main.
Why You’ll Love This Stuffed Eggplant Recipe
Delicious Details
- Cuisine Inspiration: Italian-inspired
- Primary Cooking Method: Stovetop, Oven
- Dietary Info: Gluten-free option
- Skill Level: Easy
This stuffed eggplant recipe is a great vegetarian meal or side dish. I look at it as a dish that’s inspired by a classic eggplant parmesan recipe but with a twist. You won’t need to bread or fry the eggplant, which are two things I usually try to avoid since I’m gluten free and don’t love fried foods. And you can adapt the recipe if you wish to make it heartier with extra protein or to include more vegetables. There’s a lot to love!
- Vegetarian! This wonderful vegetarian dish that can be made the star of the meal or rounded out with vegetable sides or even meat. It’s a nice option when you need to feed vegetarians and non-vegetarians. There will be something for everyone when you make stuffed eggplant.
- And gluten free. This is a naturally gluten free recipe, meaning that none of the ingredients contain any gluten. You won’t need to worry about finding gluten free breadcrumbs because I’ve taken them out of this recipe altogether, making prep easier and completely gluten free.
- A fresh take on a classic. I love eggplant parmesan but let’s be real – it can leave you feeling stuffed and it takes a lot more effort to bread and fry the eggplant. My version is lighter yet still captures the flavors I love about an eggplant parm.
What You’ll Need
Take a look at the ingredients needed to make this recipe below. Check the recipe card at the end of this post for the full ingredient amounts.
- Eggplant: Choose a firm, shiny eggplant with no soft spots for the best results.
- Olive Oil: I use extra virgin olive oil in this recipe.
- Onion: Feel free to use a red or yellow onion.
- Garlic
- Italian Seasoning: You can substitute dried basil or oregano if you don’t have Italian seasoning, or do a mix of the two.
- Salt and Pepper
- Canned Tomatoes: Use a can of chopped Tomatoes in puree or crushed tomatoes.
- Ricotta Cheese
- Parmesan Cheese
- Mozzarella: My preference is for fresh mozzarella, but pre-shredded mozzarella will also work.
How To Make Stuffed Eggplant Parmesan
Get an idea of how to make this stuffed eggplant recipe below. Find the detailed instructions in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Prepare the eggplant. Preheat your oven to 400ºF and slice each eggplant in half lengthwise, then scoop out the flesh from the eggplant.
- Chop. Cut the scooped-out flesh into cubes.
- Drain and bake eggplant. Sprinkle a little salt inside the eggplant shells, and flip them upside down to drain, then blot out the water. Bake the eggplant until soft.
- Cook aromatics. Heat the olive oil and cook the onion and garlic until fragrant.
- Add eggplant. Stir in the reserved chopped eggplant, Italian seasoning and salt and pepper, and cook until browned.
- Add tomatoes. Stir in the canned tomatoes and simmer until heated through.
- Make ricotta mixture. Combine the ricotta cheese, Italian seasoning, parmesan cheese, and salt and pepper.
- Stuff the eggplant. Place the eggplant in a baking dish. Add sauce to the bottom of each eggplant half. Divide the ricotta cheese mixture evenly between the shells.
- Finish. Top the cheese mixture with more sauce.
- Add cheese. Lay the mozzarella on top of the stuffed eggplants, and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
- Bake. Now bake until heated through and the cheese is bubbly.
Easy Variations
If you want to change up this recipe a bit, go right ahead! Here are a few ways to expand on this dish:
- Make bolognese. For an easy, meaty sauce, brown some ground beef or turkey, then add the chopped eggplant and make the sauce. Or, make my Bolognese recipe and use it in place of the homemade sauce.
- Or a vegetarian bolognese. Use your favorite plant-based meat crumbles to make a vegetarian version of bolognese sauce.
- Add more veggies. Tuck more vegetables into the sauce, like chopped mushrooms, baby spinach, chopped bell peppers, and more.
- A sprinkle of breadcrumbs. If you wish, add a layer of gluten free breadcrumbs to the top of the stuffed eggplant before you do the final bake. This will add a nice textural crunch and contrast.
Tips for Success
Eggplant can have a bitter taste if it’s not cooked thoroughly, so make sure to roast the eggplant before stuffing it.
Here are a few more tips to help you make this dish perfectly:
- Drain the eggplant. Make sure to salt and drain the eggplant before you use it in this recipe to remove any excess moisture. This will help the final dish not be too watery after it bakes. If you have extra time, you can let the eggplant drain for up to 1 hour.
- Make the eggplant ahead. If you wish, you can bake the eggplant the day before you plan to assemble and finish the dish. Place it in an airtight container in the fridge until you’re ready to proceed with the recipe.
- Use jarred sauce. To save time, you can swap in your favorite store-bought sauce for the homemade sauce (although I do think the homemade sauce tastes better!).
Proper Storage
Here’s how to store any leftover stuffed eggplant:
- Fridge – Place the cooled stuffed eggplant in an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Freezer – Add the cooled eggplant to an airtight, freezer-safe container and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw the eggplant in the fridge before reheating. Note that the texture may change a little when the vegetables and cheese are defrosted but they will still taste good.
- To Reheat – Place leftover stuffed eggplant in an oven-safe dish or baking sheet and heat it in the oven at 350ºF until heated through.
Make It A Meal
Add a salad or a loaf of bread and your dinner is done! Here are a few other options for what to serve with stuffed eggplant:
- Salad. A fresh salad alongside cheesy bites of stuffed eggplant is just right. Make my Cucumber Tomato Feta Salad, Caprese Zoodles Salad, or try a flavorful and easy Greek Salad.
- Homemade bread. Scoop up the melted cheese and sauce with fresh bread! I love serving squares of Gluten Free Focaccia or a pile of Gluten Free Garlic Knots with stuffed eggplant.
- Meat. Round out your plate of stuffed eggplant with savory Italian Meatballs or make a super flavorful Rosemary Balsamic Roast Chicken.
- Vegetables. Add more vegetables to the table! Try a side of Roasted Asparagus, Air Fryer Broccoli, or Blue Cheese Roasted Vegetables with this stuffed eggplant recipe.
- Pasta. An easy side of gluten free pasta is always welcome. My Penne with Tomato Cream Sauce or Gluten Free Baked Ziti are nice choices.
More Vegetarian Dinner Ideas
Stuffed Eggplant Parmesan
Stuffed Eggplant Parmesan takes everything you love about traditional eggplant parm but makes it easy and gluten free! It's stuffed with ricotta and topped with sauce and mozzarella!
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 2 medium eggplants
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ cup chopped onion
- 1 clove garlic, minced or crushed
- 1 ¼ teaspoons Italian seasoning, divided
- ¾ teaspoon Kosher salt, plus additional for salting the eggplant
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 28 ounce can Chopped Tomatoes in Puree or Crushed Tomatoes
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese, plus 2 tablespoons for topping
- 4 ounces fresh mozzarella, cut in thin slices
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400ºF.
- Slice each eggplant in half lengthwise and scoop out the flesh from the eggplant, leaving approximately a half-inch thick “shell”. Cut the scooped out flesh into approximately 1/4 inch cubes and set aside.
- Sprinkle a little salt inside the eggplant shells, and flip them upside down on a paper towel to draw out some of the water for about 5-10 minutes. Blot out some of the water from the shell, and place them cut side down in a glass baking dish sprayed with olive oil or cooking spray. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until eggplant starts to become soft.
- While the eggplant drains and bakes, heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the onion and saute for 3-4 minutes until translucent and tender. Add the garlic and saute for a minute or two, until fragrant
- Add the reserved chopped eggplant, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, 1/2 Kosher salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, to taste. Cook until the eggplant is browned and tender, approximately five minutes.
- Add canned tomatoes and simmer for 5-10 minutes, until heated through. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- While it simmers, make the cheese mixture by combining the ricotta cheese, 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning, parmesan cheese, and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl.
- After the eggplant shells are done baking, remove fro the oven and spoon about 2 Tablespoons of the sauce into the bottom of each eggplant half. Divide the ricotta cheese mixture evenly between the shells, and top each with another 2 Tablespoons sauce. Reserve extra sauce for serving.
- Lay the mozzarella on top of the stuffed eggplants, and sprinkle with the 2 Tablespoons parmesan cheese.
- Baked for 15-20 minutes at 400ºF, or until heated through and the cheese is bubbly and browned.
Notes
Adapted from Pink Parsley’s Lasagna-Stuffed Portabellos
Nutrition Facts
Stuffed Eggplant Parmesan
Amount Per Serving (1 half eggplant)
Calories 319
Calories from Fat 180
% Daily Value*
Fat 20g31%
Saturated Fat 10g50%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 7g
Cholesterol 59mg20%
Sodium 783mg33%
Potassium 669mg19%
Carbohydrates 19g6%
Fiber 8g32%
Sugar 9g10%
Protein 18g36%
Vitamin A 591IU12%
Vitamin C 7mg8%
Calcium 365mg37%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Disclaimers: Please discuss your individual dietary needs (i.e. gluten free) with a physician. Even when not specified, be sure to verify all ingredients are gluten free, if needed, by reading labels on all packaging and/or confirming with the manufacturer this varies by brand and can change at any time. Nutrition information shown is an estimate and not guaranteed to be accurate.
Did you make this?
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I love stuffed eggplant!!!
Hi Brianne–
(Again, like we know each other 😉 ) It’s my impression that most foodie bloggers are very supportive of each other and actually promote each other’s recipes. I’ve never seen one who didn’t acknowledge modifications or inspirations. In terms of art or science…I’d say I’m an intuitive cook. My husband, a software engineer, is a scientist. On the rare occasions that he cooks, he follows the recipe to the absolute milligram. I look at a recipe as a platform to jump off from. And then it’s “some” of this and “a little” of that. I think I inherited some natural ability from my maternal grandmother, which is great except when other people actually like it and want “the recipe.” I need to start keeping a notebook like you.
I love the personal, friendly greeting! So hi, Rebecca! 🙂 Yes, I have seen that the food blogging community is very kind and supportive. I know what you mean about tossing things together – I had to do something to force myself to write things down.
This looks wonderful! Love eggplant parmesan, this looks amazing!
Thanks. Yes, we definitely all enjoyed it. I hope you give it a try.
you are so funny – you did everything exactly right! I’m glad you liked it so much, and I love your idea to stuff it in an eggplant. I definitely want to try it that way next time! 🙂
Haha, thanks for checking it out!! I am honored, really 🙂 It was a good twist on your recipe for those crazy mushroom-hating folks.
mmmm…this looks delish! Thanks for submitting to BSI this week. I always feel that if you link and give credit back to the original place you got the recipe from, its all good. I have had many of my recipes ( original and not) remade and reposted. I consider it an honor, as long as there is a post back to me! Posting a recipe you got somewhere without credit to the originator….not cool. I am definitely more of a baker than a cook.
Thanks! Yes, I am learning the ropes of using, changing, and linking back to recipes. What you said seems to be the general conclusion, so now I feel better. But being a newbie, I was a little paranoid. But really, now many recipes are COMPLETELY original. They are always inspired by another recipe, or a dish you had at a restaurant or something. In fact right now I have something in my crockpot that is a little change from a recipe I made and loved from another blog, but we felt it could use a little more kick, and I wanted to add some more veggies into it.
So the thing about copying recipes….there’s a whole etiquette about that in blogworld where you never actually post someone else’s recipe (I know you didn’t do that—you posted about what recipe inspired you and linked to it). If you really did start from someone else’s recipe and modify it, you’d link to the recipe you used, and only post on your blog the changes you made but not the whole recipe.
That way, you’re sending people to the recipe creator’s site, and you’re keeping them interested in your post too. Then, it’s a very nice thing to “copy” a recipe. There was this one blogger I was really into—she was all about a certain way of eating, and she even has cookbooks that she self-published. Then one day, someone posted in her comments a link to a recipe that was 99% the same, with just one or two things changed and mentioned “I’m glad you checked out the recipe I recommended the other day” or something like that.
Ever since then, it’s like I can’t trust her—she didn’t give credit to where the recipe came from.
The way I look at it is that we’re all kind of here for the same thing (in some ways)…and we’re not competing against each other—we can all boost each other up. Sometimes I invent recipes, but sometimes I’m taking what someone else did and modifying it–I want to give them credit because I’m thanking them for the inspiration and starting point!
I didn’t mean to get preach-y there…it’s just something I’ve learned along the way from other bloggers, and I thought I’d share!
The eggplant parm lasagna looks super yummy!
Thanks for the insight. I appreciate your experience. I would never just strictly copy another recipe, or even just change it ever so slightly, unless I toally gave credit to the original and said, “Look, I made so-and-so’s recipe, and it was awesome. I just used basil instead of parsley. You should go to their site and try it, ” and then not actually write the recipe, just give the link.
I think it’s fine as long as you source the original recipe and blog, right?
Lisa gave me the whole rundown in her comment, but the quick answer is “yes”.
Oh, THANK YOU for the Ryan Gosling fix! I am definitely a cook. that’s why I don’t post too many desserts (well, that and the waistline). I can’t alter baking recipes too much because I don’t know the science at all.
She is a riot with all of those pictures! It’s good to have some bakers and some cooks, right? I cook more, but love to bake. Though I am new at altering baking recipes. I can follow recipes very well, which some people can’t, but I am sure altering them will take some time to get really good. Though I did attempt some cupcakes tonight that are really good. The frosting needs work though.
You’re so much better than reaching out to readers than me. After trying to keep up with the food blogosphere for a few years I’m a tad burnt out. Let me know if you figure out a way to stay informed and also have a life. I like Diane Jacobs(?) Blog Will Write for Food.
Thanks for the suggestion, I will check that blog out. I am trying to focus on reaching out to people since I just got started. I don’t have a full time job outside of the home, but keeping up with the house, my little boy, cleaning, cooking, and trying to read and write blogs is tough. And to be a writer, you have to be a reader and a commenter. I owe some people some reads, but I have to go to bed at a reasonable time tonight 🙂
Brianne, thanks for the mention of Will Write for Food and my blog. https://diannej.com/b/
You’re most welcome, Dianne!
looks good! I like the idea of baking instead of frying and making eggplant shells. I try to avoid eating seeds and it’s a neat way to serve them.
Thanks Mary! Yeah, I was never one big on the fried eggplant. And if you don’t want to eat the seeds, you don’t have to use the eggplant sauce in the recipe. You can use any sauce you like. I hope you try it.