Do I have to salt the eggplant first?

No, not for this recipe. Modern eggplant varieties are hardly bitter any more, and the slices are roasted in the oven with olive oil, which makes them soft and full of flavor. Salting only pays off if you have very large, seedy fruit or want to pan-fry the slices, then they soak up less oil. In that case salt for 20 minutes, rinse and pat dry.

Which polenta should I use for the bake?

Fine cornmeal, often sold as fine polenta or bramata, gives a smooth, creamy base in 10 minutes. Coarse polenta takes 30 to 40 minutes and turns out grainier, but tastes just as good. Instant polenta works too, then follow the cooking time on the packet and use a little less water so the base sets firm enough.

Can I prepare the polenta bake ahead?

Yes, very well in fact. You can layer the whole bake, cover it and keep it in the fridge for up to 1 day, then it needs about 10 minutes longer in the oven. The polenta alone can also be spread into the dish the day before, it sets as it cools and then carries the layers even better.

Is parmesan vegetarian, and can the bake be made vegan?

Real Parmigiano Reggiano is made with animal rennet and is strictly speaking not vegetarian. If that matters to you, use an Italian hard cheese made with microbial rennet, usually labeled vegetarian in the shop. For a vegan bake use grated plant-based cheese for the topping and 2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast in the polenta, which brings the savory depth.

Can I freeze the polenta parmigiana?

Yes, baked and cooled it keeps in portions for 3 months in the freezer. To reheat, thaw overnight in the fridge and warm in the oven at 180°C (355°F) for 20 minutes so the cheese turns crisp again. The microwave is faster, but the crust stays soft.

10 SEPTEMBER 2026

Baked Polenta Parmigiana with Eggplant

Name: Baked Polenta Parmigiana with Eggplant
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 100 gr (3.5 oz.) fine polenta; 500 ml (2 cups) water; 1 tsp salt; 2 eggplants; 2 Tbsp olive oil; 1 Tbsp olive oil; 1 onion; 2 garlic cloves; 400 gr (14 oz.) chopped tomatoes; 1 tsp Italian herbs; 1 splash red wine; 1 tsp sugar; salt; pepper; 200 gr (7 oz.) grated mozzarella; 50 gr (1.8 oz.) grated parmesan; 1 handful basil

By Verena Frei

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Prep: 20 min
Cook: 50 min
Total: 1 hr 10 min
Servings: 4 servings

What can I cook tonight?Tap what you have at home and I will show you what fits.e.g. withchopped tomatoespolentaeggplant

Hello lovelies,

you probably know parmigiana as an eggplant bake with tomato sauce and plenty of cheese. In our house the classic gets a base of creamy polenta, and that is exactly what turns it into family food: my baked polenta parmigiana with eggplant is soft and corn-yellow at the bottom, juicy with tomato sauce and roasted eggplant in the middle, and golden and bubbling on top. A square of it with a green salad, and the autumn evening is sorted.

A square of baked polenta parmigiana with eggplant on a black plate, the layers visible

The idea is related to my eggplant lasagne with pesto and tomato sauce, except that here polenta forms the base instead of pasta sheets. That makes the bake naturally gluten-free, provided your cheese and herbs are, and the polenta soaks up the sauce in the oven like a sponge.

Eggplant and polenta

I slice the eggplants lengthwise into thin slices, brush them with olive oil and roast them in the oven until soft with dark patches. You do not need to salt them for that, and I have written down why, and when it is still worth doing, in my guide to how to cook eggplant properly.

Close-up of the golden cheese crust of the polenta parmigiana with basil leaves

For the base, cook fine polenta in salted water for 10 minutes until thick and creamy and spread it into the greased dish. It sets as it cools and then carries the layers without any trouble. Polenta is not only savory in our kitchen, by the way, as a sweet polenta with coconut and pineapple it lands on the breakfast table too.

Baked polenta parmigiana in the black dish at an angle from above, cheese baked golden

The tomato sauce is simple: sweat onion and garlic, add chopped tomatoes, Italian herbs, a spoon of sugar against the acidity and, if you like, a splash of red wine, then reduce for 10 to 15 minutes. It is layered as sauce, eggplant, sauce, mozzarella and parmesan, and after 20 to 25 minutes at 180°C (355°F) the cheese bubbles golden.

Baked polenta parmigiana served on a plate, the baking dish behind it

Ingredients for the polenta parmigiana with eggplant, polenta, tomatoes, basil, onion and garlic

If you love cheese-topped vegetable bakes straight from the dish as much as we do, try my one-pot orzo bake with halloumi and summer vegetables next, that is the version with pasta.

And if some cornmeal is left in the packet, bake my polenta carrot cake with almonds with it, and dessert comes from the same bag. I look forward to your pictures of the bake.

Yours, Verena

TIPS

Verena's notes

Tip from my kitchen: let the polenta set in the dish for 5 minutes before the sauce goes on, then the base stays firm when you cut it. The eggplant may pick up dark patches in the oven, that is roasted flavor, not a mistake. A splash of red wine rounds the sauce off, with children at the table I use a spoon of balsamic vinegar instead. The bake tastes almost better on day two because the polenta soaks up the sauce, so make a double batch and freeze one dish. A green salad with lemon dressing goes alongside.

Baked Polenta Parmigiana with Eggplant

Oven bake in the parmigiana style with a creamy polenta base, roasted eggplant, tomato sauce, mozzarella and parmesan.

Course:Main Dish
Prep:20 min
Cook:50 min
Servings:4 servings

Vegetarian

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EQUIPMENT

Baking sheet lined with parchment
Medium pot
Whisk
Frying pan
Baking dish, about 20 x 20 cm (8 x 8 inches)
Pastry brush

INGREDIENTS

For the polenta:

100gr (3.5 oz.)fine polenta
500ml (2 cups)water
1tspsalt

For the eggplant:

2eggplants
2Tbspolive oil

For the tomato sauce:

1Tbspolive oil
1onion
2garlic cloves
400gr (14 oz.)chopped tomatoes canned
1tspItalian herbs dried
1splashred wine optional
1tspsugar
salt to taste
pepper to taste

For the topping:

200gr (7 oz.)grated mozzarella
50gr (1.8 oz.)grated parmesan or vegetarian hard cheese
1handfulbasil fresh leaves, optional

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INSTRUCTIONS

Roast the eggplant

Preheat the oven to 200°C (390°F) conventional heat. Wash the eggplants and slice them lengthwise into thin slices, brush with olive oil and spread on the baking sheet.
Roast for 15 to 20 minutes until the slices are soft and browned. Take them out and turn the oven down to 180°C (355°F).

Cook the polenta

Bring the water and salt to a boil in the pot. Pour in the polenta in a thin stream while whisking constantly.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer the polenta for about 10 minutes, stirring now and then, until thick and creamy.
Grease the baking dish and spread the polenta evenly into it as the base.

Tomato sauce

Peel and finely chop the onion and garlic. Heat the olive oil in the pan and sweat both until translucent.
Add the chopped tomatoes, Italian herbs, the red wine if using and the sugar, and simmer the sauce uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes until thickened. Season with salt and pepper.

Layer and bake

Spread a layer of tomato sauce over the polenta, lay the eggplant slices on top and cover with the remaining sauce.
Scatter the mozzarella and parmesan over the top and bake at 180°C (355°F) for 20 to 25 minutes, until the cheese has melted and the surface is golden.
Let it rest briefly, garnish with fresh basil if you like and serve cut into squares.

Calories: 420 kcal
Protein: 20 g

GOOD TO KNOW

Frequently asked questions

No, not for this recipe. Modern eggplant varieties are hardly bitter any more, and the slices are roasted in the oven with olive oil, which makes them soft and full of flavor. Salting only pays off if you have very large, seedy fruit or want to pan-fry the slices, then they soak up less oil. In that case salt for 20 minutes, rinse and pat dry.
Fine cornmeal, often sold as fine polenta or bramata, gives a smooth, creamy base in 10 minutes. Coarse polenta takes 30 to 40 minutes and turns out grainier, but tastes just as good. Instant polenta works too, then follow the cooking time on the packet and use a little less water so the base sets firm enough.
Yes, very well in fact. You can layer the whole bake, cover it and keep it in the fridge for up to 1 day, then it needs about 10 minutes longer in the oven. The polenta alone can also be spread into the dish the day before, it sets as it cools and then carries the layers even better.
Real Parmigiano Reggiano is made with animal rennet and is strictly speaking not vegetarian. If that matters to you, use an Italian hard cheese made with microbial rennet, usually labeled vegetarian in the shop. For a vegan bake use grated plant-based cheese for the topping and 2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast in the polenta, which brings the savory depth.
Yes, baked and cooled it keeps in portions for 3 months in the freezer. To reheat, thaw overnight in the fridge and warm in the oven at 180°C (355°F) for 20 minutes so the cheese turns crisp again. The microwave is faster, but the crust stays soft.

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TAGS:POLENTAEGGPLANTTOMATOESMOZZARELLAPARMESANOVEN BAKEDITALIANBASILFALLCOMFORT FOODVEGETARIAN

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A slice of eggplant lasagne with pesto on a dark plate, visible layers and a golden cheese crust