Eggplant parmesan: 3 creator recipes compared

Every one is built on eggplant, garlic and basil. Some add herbs or anchovy fillets.

Start with Francesco Mattana’s version See all 3 side by side

3 versions
50 min to 55 min
Serves 2 to 4

Times are estimated preparation and cooking; chilling or resting is extra. Updated 3 November 2026.

Grilled Eggplant Parmigiana by Francesco Mattana, a frame from the Instagram video

Make this one first.

We put the most-saved version first: Francesco Mattana’s. A lighter take on the classic Italian dish, featuring char‑grilled eggplant slices layered with mozzarella, Parmesan, and a sweet, slow‑reduced tomato sauce. The result is a vibrant, satisfying dinner that's perfect for warm evenings.

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Grilled Eggplant Parmigiana

Recipe from Francesco Mattana, from their Instagram videoWritten down by ReelsMeals from the caption and voiceover.

55 min
Serves 2
11 ingredients
Oven

Ingredients

1eggplant
125 gmozzarella
50 gParmesan
400 gplum tomatoes
1 tbsptomato puree
1shallot
1 clovegarlic
2 sprigsbasil
to tastesea salt
to tasteblack pepper
2 tbspolive oil

How it goes

Preheat the grill to medium‑high heat.
Brush the eggplant slices with olive oil and season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Grill the eggplant slices for 3–4 minutes per side, until tender and lightly charred; set aside.
In a saucepan, heat a drizzle of olive oil over medium heat and sauté the diced shallot and minced garlic until translucent, about 2 minutes.
Add the peeled plum tomatoes and the heaped tablespoon of tomato puree; stir to combine.
Reduce the heat to low and simmer the sauce gently for 20–25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it thickens and develops a sweet, rich flavor.

Then 6 more steps in the full recipe.

Open the full recipe

All 3, side by side.

From each creator’s recipe as we saved it. Time is the estimated preparation and cooking time; chilling is extra where they say so. Ingredient counts include everything on the list.

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10 min or less · 7 or fewer11 to 29 min · 8 or 930 min or more · 10 or more

3 eggplant parmesan recipes compared by estimated time, servings, ingredients, method and what only that version uses. Francesco Mattana’s, the one to make first, is highlighted.
Version	Time (est.)	Serves	Ingredients	Method	Only this one uses
Grilled Eggplant ParmigianaFrancesco Mattana · make this one first	55 min	2	11	Oven, Grilled, Simmered	nothing the others don’t
Eggplant ParmesanGod of food	50 min	4	13	Oven, Simmered	herbs, flour, egg and red sauce
Lazy Girl Eggplant ParmesanStefanie Phillips	50 min	4	11	Oven, Blender	anchovy fillets and bread crumbs

What they share.

All 3use eggplant.
All 3use garlic.
All 3use basil.
2 of 3use mozzarella. God of food’s version leaves it out.
2 of 3use parmesan. God of food’s version leaves it out.
2 of 3use tomato. God of food’s version leaves it out.

Counted from each version’s ingredient list. Salt, pepper, oil and water are left out, and names are matched loosely, so chicken thighs and chicken legs both count as chicken.

Where they differ.

How they cook it
Only Francesco Mattana grills. Francesco Mattana and God of food simmer, poach or braise; Stefanie Phillips doesn't. Only Stefanie Phillips uses a blender.
Something only one of them uses
God of food is the only one to use herbs, flour, egg and red sauce. Stefanie Phillips is the only one to use anchovy fillets and bread crumbs.

All 3, with their videos.

Each one opens as a full recipe with the creator credited and the original video linked.

How this comparison works.

Every recipe here comes from a creator’s own video. ReelsMeals writes it down from the caption and the voiceover, and publishes it with the creator named and the original linked. When three or more versions of a dish from at least two creators are saved, the dish gets a page like this one. Reposts and the same video saved twice count once.

Times and servings come from the saved recipe cards and may be estimated. Ingredient names are matched loosely, so chicken thighs and chicken legs both count as chicken. We don’t rank them by taste: the version shown first is the one ReelsMeals cooks have saved most. Last updated 3 November 2026.

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