Ina Garten’s Roasted Eggplant Parmesan

If all recipes could promise what this one does — all the deliciousness with none of the mess — it’s safe to say we’d all be living our very best lives. Ina Garten’s brilliant take on eggplant Parmesan, published in her cookbook, Cook Like a Pro, calls for roasting the eggplant instead of frying it, eliminating hot oil splashes and greasy cleanup entirely. The result is an uber-cheesy, saucy, crispy-crunchy eggplant bake, and cleanup is done before you even sit down to dig in.

After cooking this recipe at home, my biggest takeaway was never doubt Ina (something I should have known, of course — but hear me out). First, she asked me to season my sliced eggplant with 1 1/2 tablespoons of salt. One-and-a-half tablespoons is way more than your average three-finger pinch. It’s a downright downpour, heavily coating each and every slice. I was nervous.

Then, once the slices are roasted, she had me layer them with marinara sauce, basil, and three types of cheese — fresh buffalo mozzarella, soft herbed goat cheese, and freshly grated Parmesan. I was sold on the amount of cheese (and I loved the unique addition of goat cheese), but I was worried the thin and tender eggplant slices — traditionally protected by a fried breadcrumb coating — would get totally lost in the mix.

But Ina knows what she’s doing, which she proved once again in this phenomenal dish. Every bite was a mouthwatering trifecta of tender, silky eggplant, warm marinara sauce, and gooey, melty cheese (none of which overpowered the other). And you know what? It was perfectly seasoned — just the right amount of saltiness. If you’re worried about losing out on the crunch you get in a classic eggplant Parmesan, don’t worry: Ina gives you that in the form of a garlicky, herby breadcrumb topping. I’ll never doubt her again.