Baked Baby Eggplant Parmigiana is a vegetarian stuffed eggplant appetizer or side dish that's easy to make. These small, round eggplants are unbreaded and filled with ricotta and Parmesan, then topped with marinara sauce and finished with fresh basil. They work well as a hot appetizer or a simple side dish.
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These mini eggplant Parmesan bites are a twist on the classic recipe. Each one is a single serving with tender eggplant, tomato sauce, and melted cheese layered inside. They're easy to serve and good for casual dinners or having people over.
Each mini stuffed eggplant is carefully made with layers of tender eggplant, tomato sauce, and melty cheese. Perfect for a quick and satisfying meal or entertaining guests, these mini eggplant parmesan bites promise to impress.
This dish is breadless, making it gluten-free and low-carb.
Where to Get Baby Eggplants
Baby eggplant Parmigiana starts with small eggplants. If your grocery store doesn't carry them, check a local specialty market. I found these at Redland Market Village, a large produce market in Homestead, Florida.
Stores that specialize in Asian, Indian, Middle Eastern, or Mediterranean foods often carry baby eggplants.
Another consideration is to grow your own. Visit Johnny Seeds, an online seed distributor, offering seeds for all varieties of baby eggplants.
Johnny Seeds offers Patio Baby eggplants, which are small plants that do well in patio gardens, balcony pots, and small garden spaces. They're a good choice if you're short on room.
For something a little different, try Paloma eggplant, a white baby eggplant with gentle vertical ribbing.
Fairytale eggplants are another option. They're small with purple-and-white striped skin, a sweet flavor, and very few seeds.
How to Select Baby Eggplant
When buying baby eggplants, look for ones that are firm, shiny, and without blemishes. They should feel heavy for their size and have vibrant green stems.
What You Need
- Baby eggplants
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt and black pepper
- Parsley
- Ricotta
- Mozzarella
- Parmesan or Romano (Locatelli) cheese
- Marinara sauce
- Fresh basil for garnish
How To Make Baby Eggplant Parmesan
Carefully wash the small eggplants, making sure to either cut the stems off or clean them under the stem to remove any trapped dust.
As you cut the eggplants in half, they will start to discolor. Don't worry about it!
- Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Prepare a baking pan with a sheet of parchment paper.
- Slice each little eggplant in half. Scoop out the seeds with a small spoon or melon baller.
- Brush each eggplant half lightly all over with olive oil.
- Place all eggplants cut side down in the pan.
- Roast for 10 minutes or until tender.
- In a medium bowl, mix ricotta with chopped parsley and parmesan cheese.
- Stuff each eggplant half with the cheese mixture.
- Top each eggplant half with a tablespoon of shredded mozzarella.
- Place back in the oven for 4 or 5 minutes until cheese is hot and melted.
- When cool enough to handle, plate the eggplant.
- Serve with marinara sauce and garnish with fresh basil leaves.
Hint: When they come out of the oven, they are extremely hot and soft. Let the pieces cool for 5 minutes so the filling tightens a bit and they become more manageable.
This eggplant parm is gluten-free, grain-free, and vegetarian.
Variations
There is another variety of tiny eggplants called Fairy Tale Eggplants. They are about 3 inches long and have purple and white stripes. They could be used in place of the round baby eggplants.
SPICE For a little extra spice, you can top each eggplant half with red pepper flakes or a little hot sauce.
CHEESE I made this recipe with Locatelli Cheese, an Italian grass-fed Romano cheese made with sheep's milk. You can use your favorite grated Parmesan cheese in its place.
MEAT: You can stuff the eggplants with a little sauteed ground beef or Italian sausage. Combine the cooked meat with the ricotta cheese and stuff the eggplants.
For tomato sauce, I use Carbone Marinara Sauce. You can pick it up at Publix in Florida and most large grocery chains.
Storage and Reheating
Store the eggplant in a single layer in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Freezing is not recommended.
To reheat, bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 10 minutes or microwave for about 3 minutes until heated through.
Key Takeaway
Baby Eggplant Parmesan is a lighter take on the classic. Instead of frying, I use small, round eggplants and bake them in the oven.
Finding these tiny eggplants can be tricky. Check gourmet stores, Indian or Chinese markets, or try growing Patio Eggplants at home.
To make them, hollow out the mini eggplants, roast them, then stuff them with cheese. Bake until the cheese is melted and gooey for a delicious bite.
For more easy roasted vegetable ideas, check out my complete post on How To Roast All Kinds of Vegetables.
Serving Recommendations
These little bites would be great with a bowl of spaghetti or penne. You can arrange the eggplants over the pasta and top with additional marinara and freshly grated parmesan cheese.
These little eggplants are the size of large eggs. They make great party appetizers. Just make sure they cool a bit out of the oven. Plate the eggplants on an attractive platter. You can scatter basil leaves and shaved parmesan cheese around each piece and serve with a bowl of warm marinara.
In our house, Mikey ate the last batch right out of the oven. He loved them!
More Baby Eggplant Recipes
This recipe was inspired by my Roasted Baby Eggplant Poppers, French Ratatouille, and Baked Fairytale Eggplant, all made with tiny little eggplants.
We just added a Fried Baby Eggplant appetizer! These crispy, golden bites are served with a creamy Sour Cream Herb Dip for a delicious and satisfying snack or starter.
For something a little different, try Eggplant Parmesan Without Frying. Made with long slender Japanese eggplants, ricotta, mozzarella, and fresh breadcrumbs, it comes together in the oven with a lighter finish and plenty of flavor.
What Goes with Eggplant Parmesan?
Serve eggplant parm with garlic bread, green salad, or a big bowl of pasta.
Here are a few recipes to help plan your meal:
FAQ
Mini eggplants are typically around 2 to 4 inches long, smaller than regular ones.
Yes! Baby eggplants have a tender texture and a mild, slightly sweet flavor. They work well in stir-fries, curries, grilling, roasting, and stuffing. Their small size means you don't need to peel or salt them, making them easy to prepare and cook.
Yes, but this recipe uses baby eggplant. Baby eggplant is more tender than full-size eggplant and they're never bitter.
Baby Eggplant Parmigiana
Ingredients
- 1 pound baby eggplants, 8-12 pieces halved
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
- 1 cup ricotta
- 1 cup freshly grated mozzarella cheese
- ¼ cup parmesan or Locatelli cheese
- 1 cup marinara sauce
- fresh basil leaves
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Prepare a baking pan with a sheet of parchment paper.
- Slice each little eggplant in half. Scoop out the seeds with a small spoon or melon baller. Brush each eggplant lightly all over with olive oil. Place all eggplants with the cut side down on the pan. Roast for 10 minutes or until tender.
- In a medium bowl, mix ricotta with chopped parsley and parmesan cheese. Season with a little salt and pepper. Stuff each roasted eggplant half with the cheese mixture.
- Top each eggplant half with a tablespoon of shredded mozzarella. Place the pan back in the oven for 5 minutes until the cheese is hot and melted.
- Let cool on baking sheet until cool enough to handle. Serve with warm marinara sauce and garnish with basil leaves.
Kay Porter says
Love this with the baby lamb chops recipe. A++
Jogg Awat says
My family loved this!
Leonie says
This worked exactly as written, thanks!