Food & Cooking Recipes Quick & Easy Recipes Grilled-Eggplant Parmesan 4.7 (6) 6 Reviews This lightened-up take on the classic dish comes together entirely on the grill. By Shira Bocar Shira Bocar Shira is food editor at large for Martha Stewart Living. Editorial Guidelines Updated on June 11, 2024 Rate PRINT Share Prep Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 20 mins Total Time: 40 mins Servings: 4 This recipe for grilled eggplant parmesan is a light and summery take on the classic dish. Instead of frying and baking, we turn to the grill to make a quick charred-tomato sauce and grill eggplant planks—no breading required. When tender and well marked, the eggplant is topped with fresh mozzarella cheese and given a few minutes to melt, then topped with the grilled tomato sauce and plenty of fresh basil. Served with torn ciabatta bread, this refreshing, meatless main makes a delicious dinner any night of the week. 20 Vegetarian Summer Dinner Ideas to Enjoy All Season Long Brie Goldman 3 Tips for Making Grilled-Eggplant Parmesan Use Ripe Tomatoes: Since the tomatoes are only briefly charred and softened on the grill—not simmered for hours— you'll want to use the ripest, juiciest ones you can find. For this reason, we don’t recommend making this recipe when tomatoes are out of season. Clean and Oil the Grill: Before you start grilling, be sure to thoroughly clean and oil your grill. This will both help to remove any remnants of cooked-on food and make it easier to remove the vegetables from the grates. After preheating the grill, first use a grill brush to clean the grates. Then, fold a few paper towels into a small rectangle, grip it with tongs, and dip it into a neutral oil like vegetable or canola; brush it over the grill grates until they’re black and shiny. Break Out the Pastry Brush: Since eggplant is highly absorbent, we recommend using a pastry brush to apply olive oil to the planks, rather than drizzling. This will help ensure the oil is evenly distributed, lending plenty of flavor to the eggplant while helping to prevent it from sticking to the grill. Fresh vs. Low-Moisture Mozzarella When shopping for mozzarella, you may find two distinct types: low-moisture mozzarella, which is shaped like a brick, and fresh mozzarella, which is sold as a ball or log. The difference between the two styles is that the low-moisture cheese is aged, a process which draws out moisture and makes the cheese meltier, stretchier, and shreddable. As it's name implies, fresh mozzarella is not aged and is softer and far more moist. Both styles are delicious and deserve a place in your cheese drawer, but for this recipe, we prefer the mild, creamier taste of fresh mozzarella. If you can only find low-moisture mozzrella, you can use that instead. Variation: Cooking on the StovetopIf you don't have access to a grill, you can make this recipe indoors. Use a grill pan set over medium-high heat. When it's time to melt the cheese, cover the eggplant planks with a baking sheet to trap the heat. Ingredients 4 medium tomatoes (1 ½ pounds total), halved 1 shallot, halved lengthwise ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper 2 large eggplants (2 pounds total), cut lengthwise into 1-inch planks 1 pound fresh salted mozzarella, sliced into ¼-inch rounds ¼ cup thinly sliced fresh basil leaves 1 loaf rustic bread, such as ciabatta, for serving Directions Brie Goldman Preheat grill; brush tomatoes and shallot with oil: Preheat grill to medium-high. Brush cut sides of tomatoes and shallot with 1 tablespoon oil. Brie Goldman Grill until charred: Grill, cut-side down, until charred in spots, 4 to 5 minutes. Brie Goldman Flip; continue cooking: Flip and continue cooking until vegetables soften slightly, 2 to 3 minutes more. Brie Goldman Transfer to a cutting board; roughly chop: Transfer to a cutting board. When cool enough to handle, roughly chop. Brie Goldman Transfer to a bowl; season: Transfer to a bowl; season with salt and pepper. Brie Goldman Brush eggplants with oil; season: Brush both sides of eggplants with remaining 3 tablespoons oil; season with salt and pepper. Brie Goldman Grill until lightly charred; transfer to a plate: Grill, turning once, until lightly charred in places and almost tender, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate. Brie Goldman Top with mozzarella; return to grill and cook: Top eggplants with mozzarella. Return to grill and cook, covered, until cheese melts, 1 to 2 minutes. Brie Goldman Top with tomato mixture; garnish and serve: Top evenly with tomato mixture, sprinkle with basil, drizzle with oil, and serve with torn rustic bread. Brie Goldman Storage and Reheating Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to four days. Reheat topped eggplant planks in a 400 degree Fahrenheit oven or in the microwave until heated through. Leftovers would be delicious sandwiched onto toasted ciabatta bread with a fresh drizzle of olive oil. What to Serve With Grilled-Eggplant Parmesan Besides plenty of crusty bread, try serving this grilled entree with a vibrant, crunchy green salad or a classic Caesar. Other sides that would pair beautifully include a refreshing melon-cucumber combo and a pasta salad loaded with green beans and marinated artichokes. More Eggplant Recipes to Try: Crispy Lemon-Parmesan Eggplant Ravioli With Roasted Eggplant, Tomatoes, and Capers Eggplant and Roasted-Pepper Pasta Skillet Pizza With Eggplant and Greens Grilled Ratatouille Muffuletta Roasted-Eggplant Dip With Greek Yogurt Originally appeared: Martha Stewart Living, September 2018 Rate It PRINT Updated by Esther Reynolds Esther Reynolds Esther Reynolds is an experienced recipe developer, recipe tester, food editor, and freelance writer with over a decade of experience in the food and media industries.