Crispy Eggplant with Garlicky Tomatoes and Homemade Stracciatella
Why You’ll Be Obsessed with My Crispy Eggplant with Garlicky Tomatoes & Homemade Stracciatella?!
This crispy eggplant with garlicky tomatoes and homemade stracciatella is a lighter, luxe twist on Eggplant Parmesan, and you’ll be hooked after one bite!
There are eggplant recipes… and then there’s this one. My Crispy Eggplant with Garlicky Tomatoes and Homemade Stracciatella is the kind of dish that makes people pause mid-bite and say, “Wait, what IS this magic?”
It’s bold and beautiful. Crisp yet creamy. Comforting but light. It hits every note — and that’s exactly why this has become one of those recipes: the ones you crave, make again and again, and serve to impress.
A New Take on Classic Eggplant Parmesan
This isn’t your nonna’s eggplant parm, and that’s on purpose. Don’t get me wrong, I love the classic, but sometimes I want something a little fresher.
This version keeps the soul of eggplant parmesan but ditches the heavy layering, and marinara overload. Instead, it’s crisp slices of golden eggplant topped with a fresh garlicky tomato pan sauce and creamy homemade stracciatella cheese, then garnished with fresh herbs!
The result? A dish that’s fancy enough for a dinner party, simple enough for a weeknight, and totally addictive either way.
Tips & Tricks of the Trade
Here are some behind-the-scenes secrets and techniques that make this dish restaurant-worthy, every time:
🍆 1. Slice & Salt the Eggplant
Always slice your eggplant about ½ inch thick and salt it for 10–15 minutes before breading. This draws out moisture (and bitterness) so it gets extra crisp when cooked.
🧄 2. Let the Garlic Infuse the Oil
When making your garlicky tomato topping, take your time with the garlic. Gently cook it in olive oil to flavor the oil before the tomatoes even go in. You’ll get depth without burning.
🍅 3. Use Cherry Tomatoes for Sweetness
Cherry or grape tomatoes are naturally sweet and low in moisture, perfect for making a quick pan sauce that doesn’t water down your eggplant.
🧀 4. Homemade Stracciatella is a Game-Changer
If you’ve never made stracciatella cheese before, you’re about to fall in love. It’s just fresh mozzarella torn and mixed with heavy cream. But when placed over the warm eggplant and garlicky tomatoes? Pure luxury.
🔥 5. Bake, Don’t Fry
Yes, you can fry your eggplant! A wire rack on your baking sheet helps air circulate for an ultra-golden finish.
🌿 6. Don’t Skip the Garnishes
A drizzle of good-quality olive oil, a sprinkle of flaky sea salt, and fresh basil or oregano take this dish from great to unforgettable. Details matter!
A Dish That Does It All
This crispy eggplant is:
- Vegetarian and crowd-pleasing
- Full of texture: crunchy, creamy, saucy
- Naturally lighter than traditional eggplant parm
- Make-ahead friendly (hello, meal prep!)
- Fancy-feeling but incredibly simple to assemble
Serve it as a main dish with a side salad, stack it appetizer-style for a party, or make it the star of your next meatless Monday, there’s no wrong way to enjoy it!
This dish is everything I love about cooking: a little technique, a lot of flavor, and that moment when everyone takes their first bite and you just know, you nailed it.
Trust me: after one bite, you’ll understand the obsession.
Have questions? Want to share your version? Tag me @TheMadTable, I love seeing what you’re cooking!
Crispy Eggplant with Garlicky Tomatoes and Homemade Stracciatella
Ingredients
- Crispy Eggplant:
- 2 large eggplants, sliced lengthwise between ¼ and ½ inch thick
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 5 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon chopped Calabrian chili peppers
- 4 cups panko
- ½ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for garnish
- olive oil, for frying the eggplant
- 3 cups garlicky tomatoes, recipe below
- 2 cups homemade Stracciatella, at room temperature, recipe below
- 8 to 10 fresh basil leaves, for garnish
- Garlicky Tomatoes:
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 2 to 3 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 4 cups mixed cherry tomatoes, cut in half (from tip to tip)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Stracciatella:
- 1 (8-ounce) ball fresh mozzarella
- ¾ to 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
Instructions
- Stracciatella:
- Use your hands to shred the mozzarella into small strands. Cover with heavy cream and salt. Mix it together and set aside for at least 1 hour.
- Garlicky Tomatoes:
- In a sauté pan, heat the oil slightly over low heat. Add the garlic slices and rosemary and sauté for 30 seconds. Before the garlic has taken on any color, add the cherry tomatoes to the pan, turn the heat up to medium high, season with salt and black pepper, and continue to sauté as the tomatoes release their juices, about 8 to 10 minutes, add a little water if needed to thin out. Remove from the heat and add salt to taste.
- Crispy Eggplant:
- In a shallow bowl, combine the flour, salt and black pepper. In a second shallow bowl, beat the eggs with a splash of water and the Calabrian chili peppers. In a third shallow bowl, combine the panko and grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.
- Dredge the eggplant slices in the flour, making sure to coat both sides evenly. Shake off the excess flour, then dip into the seasoned egg wash, making sure to coat both sides evenly. Let the excess egg mixture drip off, then dip into the panko and parm mixture, pressing down to coat the eggplant thoroughly with the breadcrumb mixture on both sides. Set aside and repeat with the rest of the slices.
- Heat enough oil to fill a large sauté pan a quarter of the way to halfway and set over medium heat. Add the breaded eggplant slices, working in batches if necessary. Cook until the breading is golden brown on each side, about 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack and sprinkle with salt. Repeat until all the eggplant slices have been fried.
- When ready to serve, place the eggplant on a serving platter. Top with grated parm, then spoon the garlicky tomatoes over the top, then add a few spoonful’s of the Stracciatella and garnish with fresh basil. Enjoy!
