Easy Recipe for Eggplant Parmigiana Pizza

I've made Eggplant Parmesan several times now, and while I absolutely love the flavor, I'm really not too fond of the amount of work that goes into such a simple dish. Let's face it, dredging, breading and frying each eggplant slice to perfection is tedious work. One wrong move or temperature change and you'll end up with a soggy disaster. In order to bypass the woes of traditional Eggplant Parmesan, I've devised a unique recipe that incorporates the dish into pizza. Pizza!? Yes, almost everything is better on a slice! My easy recipe for Eggplant Parmigiana pizza is a unique twist that holds true to its heritage and authentic flavors.

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Normally breaded and fried, this recipe calls for the eggplant slices to be seasoned and grilled. Grilling eliminates the fuss of frying and also drastically reduces the amount of time it takes to put the meal together.

• 1 Purple Eggplant
• 1/2 White Onion (Finely chopped)
• 3 Cloves Garlic (Minced)
• 3/4 Pound Mozzarella Cheese (Grated)
• 1/2 Cup Parmesan Cheese (Grated)
• Olive Oil
• Salt and Pepper

For this pizza, you will also need a tomato based sauce and dough. I highly recommend that you try my fresh pizza sauce and pizza dough recipes in combination with this pizza. Both are tailored for this recipe and work to compliment the Eggplant Parmesan flavor. The sauce incorporates classic Eggplant Parmesan herbs such as oregano, thyme and basil. The pizza dough is made using baking powder. This helps the crust get a tidbit crispier to act like the traditional breadcrumb coating.

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1. Slice your eggplant lengthwise in very thin slices. I kept my slices to 1/8-1/4 of an inch in thickness.
2. Brush each slice of eggplant with olive oil and season well with salt and pepper.
3. On a grill set to high heat, cook the slices on each side for 2-3 minutes. Your goal is to achieve nice grill marks while reducing a lot of moisture from the eggplant.
4. After cooking, let the slices cool and then cut them in half. (Fits on the pizza easier)

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1. If you haven't done so already, roll out your pizza dough and transfer it to a lightly greased pizza pan. Use a fork to poke the dough all over to prevent bubbles from occurring while baking.
2. Add your pizza sauce and spread evenly around the dough. Be sure to work it all the way to the edge.
3. Add half of your grated mozzarella cheese. Spread evenly.
4. On top of the first layer of cheese, spread out the finely chopped onion, minced garlic and parmesan cheese.
5. Finally add the eggplant slices and top off with the rest of your mozzarella.

1. Preheat oven to 500F.
2. Bake for 12 -13 minutes or until cheese is golden brown on top.
3. Allow to cool for 3-4 minutes. This allows the cheese to set so you don't have any toppings sliding off.
4. Serve with something fizzy. Beer is always best when it comes to pizza.

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It's not exactly the most visually stunning of pizzas, but it sure doesn't lack in flavor. The smokey grilled eggplant melds perfectly with onion, garlic and both cheeses. It melts in your mouth and delivers authentic flare with every bite. Heck, I've been so into the recipe that I have forgotten that it doesn't even have meat. What a meal!

Thank you for reading my easy recipe for eggplant parmigiana pizza. If you missed my recipes for pizza sauce and dough, I've included them below along with a few other of my favorite recipes. Have yourself a peek.