Eggplant Parmigiana Pizza

Name: Eggplant Parmigiana Pizza
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 70 min
Yield: 5
Ingredients: Type 00 flour 5 ½ cups; Water warm 2 cups; Fresh brewer's yeast 2 tsp; Sugar 2 ½ tsp; Fine salt 2.1 tsp; Extra virgin olive oil to taste; Eggplant 1.75 lbs; Fine salt to taste; Peanut seed oil 4 ¼ cups; Tomato purée 1 ¾ cup; Garlic 1 clove; Basil 4 leaves; Fine salt to taste; Black pepper to taste; Pizza mozzarella cheese 2 ¾ cups; Parmigiano Reggiano PDO cheese (to grate) to taste; Basil 4 leaves; Extra virgin olive oil to taste

it de fr es br

Vegetarian

Difficulty: Easy
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 40 min
Serving: 5
Note + rising time (about 3.5 h)

PRESENTATION

Recipe by
Sebastian Fitarau

This eggplant parmigiana pizza really brings the best of Campania’s culinary scene, where you get both pizza and eggplant parmigiana in one. Seriously good. Imagine a chewy, crispy pizza crust as your base, layered with this tangy tomato sauce that's simmered with fresh basil. And then? The golden fried eggplant slices—which are honestly the star—soft inside but still firm, not mushy at all. Really, it's perfect. Next, plenty of mozzarella cheese melts into all the nooks between the eggplant, plus a generous sprinkle of grated Parmesan for that extra punch. The whole thing goes into the oven until the edges are crispy and the cheese bubbles like crazy. It is like blending two classic dishes into one bite, with the fried eggplant giving everything a hearty, almost tender vibe you don’t always get with regular pizza. And look, this fusion shows the rich flavors and textures from both dishes, making it perfect for special dinners or entertaining guests. Compared to the famous Pizza Margherita or Pizza alla Napoletana, this eggplant pizza recipe is a fun twist on what folks usually expect from Italian-style pizza. Campania folks, they really know how to make simple things taste amazing by focusing on fresh ingredients—like rich marinara sauce, moist mozzarella, and garden-fresh basil. This homemade eggplant pizza showcases those flavors, but the eggplant adds its own touch—soaking up the sauce, going a bit crispy on the edges, and bringing that awesome, comforting taste that’s huge in Parmigiana di melanzane. You can bet this dish gets everyone talking, whether it’s a relaxed night in or a special dinner with friends. For sure. It’s also a great pick when you want vegetarian pizza recipes that actually fill you up and taste like something you’d get in a real spot in Naples. Every bite gives you a mix of tender eggplant, gooey cheese, and that Italian pizza crust, so it’s basically a little celebration of Campania every time you take a slice. This eggplant parmesan pizza is not just a meal; it’s a true taste of Italian tradition brought to life in your kitchen.

INGREDIENTS

for 5 pizzas: Type 00 flour 5 ½ cups (700 g); Water 2 cups (470 g) - warm; Fresh brewer's yeast 2 tsp (10 g); Sugar 2 ½ tsp (10 g); Fine salt 2.1 tsp (12 g); Extra virgin olive oil to taste

for the fried eggplants: Eggplant 1.75 lbs (800 g); Fine salt to taste; Peanut seed oil 4 ¼ cups (1 l)

for the sauce: Tomato purée 1 ¾ cup (400 g); Garlic 1 clove; Basil 4 leaves; Fine salt to taste; Black pepper to taste

for topping: Pizza mozzarella cheese 2 ¾ cups (300 g); Parmigiano Reggiano PDO cheese to taste - (to grate); Basil 4 leaves; Extra virgin olive oil to taste

Preparation

How to prepare Eggplant Parmigiana Pizza

To prepare the eggplant parmigiana pizza, start with the dough: pour the lukewarm water and yeast 1 into a jug, stir to dissolve it, then add the sugar 2 and oil 3.

Pour the flour into the bowl and add the yeast water mixture gradually, stirring with a fork 4. Once the liquid is absorbed, knead with your hands 5, then transfer the dough to a work surface 6.

Incorporate the salt 7 and continue kneading by hand until you get a smooth and homogeneous dough 8. Form a dough ball and place it in a bowl 9.

Cover with plastic wrap 10 and let rise for an hour and a half. After the rising time 11, work the dough on a work surface to form a loaf 12.

Divide it into 5 pieces weighing 250 g each 13. Form balls 14 and place them on an oiled baking tray or sprinkled with semolina 15.

Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for about 2 hours 16. While the dough rests, prepare the eggplant parmesan: cut the eggplants into slices about 1/8 inch thick 17 and sprinkle with a little salt on top 18, then let them rest for about twenty minutes. This step helps remove excess water and makes them more flavorful.

In the meantime, prepare the sauce: in a saucepan, heat a drizzle of oil with a clove of garlic 19, then add the tomato puree 20 and season with salt 21 and pepper.

Fragrance with some fresh basil leaves 22, cover with a lid 23, and cook for about 20 minutes until the sauce is thick and flavorful. After the resting time of the eggplants, pat them dry with paper towels 34.

Fry the eggplants in hot oil at about 340°F 25 until golden. Drain them 26 on a tray with paper towels 27.

Meanwhile, the sauce will also be ready, so turn off the heat and set it aside 28. Once the 2 hours of rising are over, you can roll out a dough ball on a slightly floured base 29 to form a thin dough disc 30.

Transfer the pizza onto the peel 31 and top it with the sauce 32, spreading it with the back of a spoon 33. Bake on the pizza stone in a static oven at 480°F for 2-3 minutes or until it starts to brown slightly.

Take out the pizza 34. Start composing the parmesan directly on the pizza: distribute a first layer of matchstick-cut mozzarella and one of eggplants 35, then more mozzarella 36.

Distribute some tablespoons of sauce and finish with the grated cheese 37 and a drizzle of oil 38. Put it back in the oven for another 3-4 minutes, always at the same temperature, until the mozzarella is melted. Once cooked, take out the eggplant parmigiana pizza, garnish with some fresh basil leaves, and serve immediately 39!

Storage

We recommend enjoying the eggplant parmigiana pizza immediately.

The pizza dough, once risen, can also be frozen, preferably already divided into portions, and stored in a freezer bag. It will then be sufficient to let your portion thaw at room temperature and continue as per the recipe.

Advice

When frying the eggplants, try not to immerse too many slices at once and use well-heated oil so they will absorb less oil and remain crispy outside and soft inside.

For the translation of some texts, artificial intelligence tools may have been used.