This is one of the tastiest sandwiches I made and it’s vegetarian! I’ve been experimenting with vegetarian sandwiches recently and they can be just as hearty and delicious as meat sandwiches. This sandwich has all my favorite things: crispy baked eggplant , a spicy creamy tomato sauce, burrata, roasted peppers, basil and arugula layered between ciabatta bread. If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a rating and comment below!
my inspiration
I’m obsessed with the crispy eggplant I baked instead of frying this time. My husband has prediabetes so I’ve been testing healthier alternatives to various recipes. Rey and Steve gave it two big thumbs up and I can’t wait to make an eggplant parmigiana with the baking method I used for this recipe. So stay tuned as I’ll be posting a healthier and easier eggplant parmigiana recipe next week!
key ingredients
crispy baked eggplant
- Italian Eggplant: I used 1 eggplant which will make 3-4 sandwiches. I used two eggplant slices for each sandwich.
- Crispy Breading Mixture:
- Panko: I used panko instead of fine breadcrumbs for that extra crunch. If you don’t have panko, you can substitute it with regular or Italian breadcrumbs.
- Parmigiano Reggiano: I added freshly grated parmesan cheese to the panko mixture.
- Oregano
- 2 Eggs
- All-Purpose Flour
- Unsalted Butter: I topped each eggplant slice with 1/2 tbsp of butter which will help give it a golden brown crust.
roasted red peppers
Roasted Red Peppers: Roasting red peppers is so easy! All you need are red bell peppers, a baking pan, non-stick spray and an airtight container. Click here for the recipe for roasted red peppers
spicy “vodka sauce”
- Spicy “Vodka” Sauce: This sauce tastes like a spicy vodka sauce but it actually doesn’t have any vodka! I ran out of vodka at home so I made it without vodka and it was still delicious. I also didn’t bake the eggplant with the sauce like a traditional eggplant parmigiana because I didn’t want the eggplant to have a soggy texture in the sandwich. I wanted the sauce to be on the thicker side so that it doesn’t make the sandwich too soggy. So don’t add any water to the sauce to thin it out!
- Canned Whole San Marzano Tomatoes: I hand crushed them and drained the liquid before adding to the pan.
- Tomato Paste: Since I didn’t use any vodka, I added some tomato paste to increase the tanginess of the tomato in the sauce.
- Yellow Onions: Make sure to give your onions enough time to caramelize to bring out its sweetness.
- Calabrian Chili: You can use crushed red pepper flakes if you can’t find Calabrian chili.
- Garlic
- Heavy Cream
- Oregano
ADDITIONAL ingredients:
- Burrata: If you can’t find burrata, you can substitute with fresh mozzarella.
- Ciabatta Bread
- Arugula
- Fresh Basil
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Crispy Spicy Eggplant Parmigiana
Ingredients
Crispy Baked Eggplant
- 1 large Italian eggplant cut into 1/2" thick slices
- 1 cup panko you may need a little more depending on the size of your eggplant
- 1/3 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup Parmigiano Reggiano freshly grated
- 1 tsp oregano
- 2 eggs whisked
- 2 tbsp kosher salt
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil to coat the baking pan
Spicy "Vodka" Sauce
- 28 oz whole San Marzano tomatoes hand crushed and fully drained
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp Calabrian chili finely chopped (you can substitute with crushed red pepper flakes)
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 tbsp sugar
- 1 cup yellow onion finely chopped
- 1 tbsp garlic
- 1 tbsp oregano
- 1/2 cup Parmigiano Reggiano freshly grated
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- fine sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper
Sandwich Assembly
- 16 oz burrata
- roasted red peppers link to recipe is above (you can also substitute with jarred red peppers as well)
- Ciabatta bread or any sandwich bread of your preference, preferably a crusty sturdier bread that can soak up the sauce
- arugula dressed with extra virgin olive oil, balsamic glaze, salt and black pepper
Instructions
Crispy Baked Eggplant
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Lay the eggplant slices on a rack or colander and generously sprinkle both sides of the eggplant with salt. Allow the eggplant to sweat for about 30 minutes. This process will help draw out the moisture from the eggplant which will result in a crispier crust.
- After 30 minutes, rinse the eggplant under running water to remove the excess salt. Then pat the eggplant dry with a towel.
- In a wide bowl, combine the panko, flour, oregano and black pepper. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs together.
- Coat both sides of each eggplant with the egg. Then dip the eggplant into the panko mixture. Gently press the panko into the eggplant with your hands so that the panko adheres well on both sides. Top each eggplant with a 1/2 tbsp of butter.
- Coat a baking sheet with the olive oil. Transfer the eggplant onto the baking sheet. Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes, flipping the eggplant once half way through to brown both sides.
Spicy "Vodka" Sauce
- Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat. Then add the olive oil, onions and oregano. Caramelize the onions for about 8 minutes. (Lower the heat if the onions are charring too quickly.) Then add the tomato paste, garlic and Calabrian chili to the pan and stir and cook for an additional minute.
- Then add the tomatoes and sugar to the pan and let the sauce simmer for about 10 minutes on low heat.
- Add the heavy cream and stir until the cream is evenly incorporated into the sauce. Let it simmer for about 2 minutes on low heat. Then turn off the heat and add the parmesan cheese. Stir the cheese into the sauce until everything is well combined.
