This stacked roasted eggplant recipe is one of my go-to vegetarian dinners. It has fresh, sweet oven-roasted eggplant layered with savory tomato sauce and gooey mozzarella cheese, baked in the oven until bubbly. Light AND filling? Yes, please.
I like to think of this roasted roasted eggplant as a deconstructed eggplant parmesan. It’s saucy, cheesy, and delicious! If you love the flavors in this recipe, also try my stuffed eggplant with tomatoes and melty cheese.
My rule when making veggies for dinner? They better be swimmin’ in sauce and covered in cheese. And since eggplants and tomatoes are one of my favorite pairings, these cheesy, saucy roasted eggplant stacks seemed like a no-brainer. This easy eggplant recipe is loaded with sweet oven roasted eggplant slices layered with savory homemade tomato sauce and melty mozzarella cheese. It’s a delicious meatless meal, and pretty good looking on a plate, too!
Why I Love This Roasted Eggplant Recipe
- Impressive, but easy. That’s the best kind of dinner, isn’t it? These roasted eggplant “towers” are delicious to eat, nice to look at, and they’re ridiculously simple to make. Pre-roast the eggplant while you make the tomato sauce, then stack them up and bake.
- Fresh Italian flavors. All the bright, tomato-y flavors in the sauce get soaked into the tender, creamy roasted eggplant (no bitterness, here! I’ll show you how). Topped with melted mozzarella, it’s like a little taste of Italy on a fork.
- Vegetarian. This roasted eggplant recipe has been a Meatless Monday favorite for years. It’s satisfying and loaded with flavor. You don’t even miss the meat! Of course, there’s always the option to make this recipe with meat sauce, too, if you’d prefer.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Fresh and simple is the name of the game when it comes to this recipe. Roasted eggplants don’t need much, but a delicious tomato sauce and melted mozzarella don’t hurt. I’ve included some ingredient notes here. Scroll down to the recipe card for a printable list and full recipe details.
- Eggplant – Choose a large, shiny eggplant that’s firm (similar to a ripe tomato) and heavy for its size. The fresher the eggplant, the better the flavor is. Slice it into 12 rounds. You’ll salt and lightly roast the eggplant slices before you stack and bake them.
- Olive Oil – Or avocado oil.
- Onion – Dice up a yellow onion, or another mild onion variety.
- Bell Pepper – I use green bell peppers in the tomato sauce, but any color works. You can also swap out mild peppers for diced green chilies or poblanos for a spicier sauce.
- Garlic – Freshly minced garlic is best.
- Tomato Sauce – Use your favorite jarred or homemade pasta sauce or marinara sauce.
- Brown Sugar – You can also use granulated sugar or your preferred sweetener.
- Worcestershire Sauce – Just a dash, for some added richness and umami in the sauce. You can also use soy sauce.
- Herbs – I use Italian seasoning or dried oregano and fresh parsley, but any dried or fresh herbs work here. Other good choices are basil and thyme.
- Mozzarella Cheese – Freshly shredded mozzarella melts the smoothest. You can use another melty cheese like cheddar in a pinch.
How to Make Roasted Eggplant Stacks
There’s a small amount of prep needed to get the eggplants ready for stacking. It’s quick, and most of the steps can be done simultaneously. I’ll usually salt and roast the eggplant while making the sauce so everything is ready around the same time. Here’s what to do:
- Prepare the eggplant. Arrange the eggplant slices on a foil-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle the slices with salt, and leave them to rest and drain for 20 minutes. Afterward, pat the eggplant dry with paper towels.
- Bake. Pre-bake the eggplant in a 450ºF oven for 10-12 minutes, until the tops are browned.
- Sauté. Meanwhile, get the onions and peppers sautéeing in a skillet with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Once those are tender, stir in the garlic.
- Make the sauce. Mix tomato sauce, sugar, Worcestershire sauce, and herbs together in a bowl. Pour this into the skillet with the veggies, and simmer for another minute so it heats through.
- Turn down the oven. Take your roasted eggplants out of the oven. Afterward, lower the oven temperature to 350ºF, and get stacking.
- Assemble. Spread ¼ cup of tomato sauce into the bottom of a greased casserole dish. Nestle 4 large eggplant slices into the pan, and top each slice with more sauce and a handful of shredded mozzarella. Place the next eggplant layer on top, and repeat. You should end up with 3 eggplant slices per stack, ending with a final layer of cheese.
- Bake again. Bake your eggplant uncovered for 15 minutes until the cheese melts and the tops turn a delicious, toasty brown. Take them out and serve!
Why Salt the Eggplant?
Pre-salting the eggplant before cooking (a technique called “sweating”) helps draw out moisture and takes away some of the eggplant’s natural bitterness. It’s an easy extra step, similar to how you’d draw out the excess liquid from zucchini when making fritters. If you’ve ever wondered how restaurants get their eggplant so rich and creamy, chances are good it’s because of salt!
Tips and Variations
- Try not to slice the eggplant too thin. Do your best not to cut your eggplant slices less than ½” thick. Eggplant shrinks while it cooks, so you don’t want to wind up with flimsy, mushy layers.
- Don’t skip the salt. I mentioned it above, salting and draining the eggplant is key! Not only does it draw out the excess moisture so that the dish doesn’t turn out watery, but it also enhances the flavor. Do this 20 minutes in advance while you chop the veggies for the tomato sauce. 😉
- Save the extra baking dish. To save yourself the extra dish to clean, you can bake your eggplant stacks on the same baking pan you used to pre-roast the eggplants. Line it with foil to make it even easier to clean afterward.
- Add more veggies. You can bulk up this vegetarian eggplant recipe with more vegetables, either in the sauce or layered in between slices. Dice up sautéed or roasted mushrooms, carrots, zucchini, or wilt greens like spinach into the sauce. Olives and capers are also easy add-ins.
- Make it meaty. Substitute the tomato sauce in this recipe with Bolognese sauce or this slow cooker spaghetti sauce with ground beef.
- Add creamy Alfredo sauce. For even more cheesy flavor, spread homemade Alfredo sauce in between layers.
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
- Refrigerate. Store any leftover roasted eggplant covered in the fridge for up to 2 days. After that, I find that the veggies get a bit soggy. Unfortunately, this dish isn’t suitable for freezing.
- Reheat. Warm up leftovers in the microwave or in the oven until the cheese is melted and the eggplant layers are heated through.
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Prep. Preheat oven to 450ºF. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray.
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Salt and pre-bake the eggplant. Arrange eggplant slices on the prepared baking sheet and sprinkle each slice with salt; let stand 20 minutes. Using paper towels, wipe off the moisture from each slice and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until browned on top.
To Make the Tomato Sauce
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Sauté. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and peppers; season with salt and pepper and cook until tender, about 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in the garlic and continue to cook for 20 seconds.
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Mix the remaining ingredients. In a mixing bowl, combine the tomato sauce, light brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, Italian seasoning, and parsley. Mix until thoroughly combined.
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Combine. Add tomato sauce mixture to the onion mixture and cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until heated through.
To Assemble
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Take out the eggplant. Remove eggplants from the oven. Lower the oven temperature to 350ºF.
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Prepare a baking dish. Lightly grease a baking pan or a casserole dish with cooking spray or you can use the same baking sheet that you used for roasting the eggplants.
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Assemble. Cover the bottom of the baking dish with about 1/4 to 1/2 cup tomato sauce. Place the 4 largest eggplant slices over the tomato sauce. Over each slice of eggplant, spread a couple of tablespoons of tomato sauce and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers, ending with cheese. Each stack should consist of 3 slices of eggplant.
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Bake. Bake uncovered for 15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the tops turn light brown.
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Serve. Remove the eggplant stacks from the oven and serve.
Calories: 269kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 28mg | Sodium: 758mg | Potassium: 708mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 1056IU | Vitamin C: 39mg | Calcium: 345mg | Iron: 2mg
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
