It’s eggplant season and that means this Provencal Eggplant Tomato Gratin is on repeat in my kitchen. This typical southern French recipe includes tender slices of eggplants layered with chunky tomato sauce, plenty of cheese and spiked with Herbs de Provence. This is a fuss-free recipe that makes a great side or a perfect vegetarian dinner.
This is probably one of my favorite recipes to make do with the abundance of tomatoes and eggplants in the summer. This veggie-focused dish is pretty healthy and low carb, yet it’s nothing short of satisfying!
If you’ve been following me for a while, you know that despite my Breton roots, I have a deep love for Provence, its culture and its cuisine.
Provençale cuisine truly knows how to showcase summer produce, and turn them into colorful and sustaining meals – and this recipe is one of my favorites from the local repertoire.
What is Provencal Eggplant Tomato Gratin?
A Provencal Eggplant Gratin features thick slices of eggplant layered in a casserole dish with a tomato sauce, cheese and herbs and baked to bubbly perfection. This is a popular recipe hailing from the sun-kissed region of Provence, in Southern France.
I know this recipe is similar to the Italian Eggplant Parmigiana (or Eggplant Parmesan), but the main difference is that the eggplant slices aren’t breaded and fried beforehand. Here they are just quickly pan fried, unbreaded, to soften them before being layered in between tomato sauce and cheese. The eggplant actually finishes cooking while the gratin bakes. This makes for a lighter dish than Eggplant Parmigiana, that’s quicker to make too!
Another key component of this dish is the Herbs de Provence. This mix of dried herbs yields a signature Provençal taste to this gratin.
Ingredients you’ll need for this Provençal Eggplant Tomato Gratin
- Eggplants. You need two large eggplants, sliced widthwise into 1/4-inch-thick rounds. When sourcing for eggplants, look for ones that are slightly firm, with a smooth skin and that feel heavy for their size. The stem is also a good indicator: it should be green. Sadly, a lot of eggplants I see in grocery stores have stems that are brownish or dried out.
- Salt. A key step of this recipe is to generously salt the eggplant rounds and let them “sweat” for at least 45 minutes, spread evenly over paper towels. You then use a cloth or paper towel to soak all the excess moisture released from the eggplant rounds. DO NOT skip this part or the eggplant will release too much moisture when baking, and the gratin will be quite watery at the bottom.
- Extra-Virgin Olive Oil. After the eggplant rounds have sweat, they get quickly pan fried with olive oil. Eggplant absorbs lots of olive oil, so don’t be afraid to have a heavy hand.
- Garlic and onion. A great base for the tomato sauce.
- Diced tomatoes. The sauce is made with diced tomatoes. You can use either canned tomatoes or fresh. If using fresh, make sure they are ripe and juicy, so they’ll soften nicely when cooking. Prefer a variety with a meaty flesh such as San Marzano or Roma.
- Fresh Basil. A few fresh basil leaves adds a bright herby flavor to the tomato sauce.
- Herbs de Provence. They add the signature Provençal flavor to this dish! It consists of a blend of dried herbs: savory, marjoram, rosemary, thyme and oregano. You can find Herbs De Provence online, in spice shops, bulk stores, and often in grocery stores in the spice aisle.
- Grated Parmesan cheese and grated Mozzarella cheese. A mix of Parmesan and mozzarella cheese is sprinkled in between layers. The parmesan adds great taste and a salty kick, and the Mozzarella creates delicious melty strings.
- Breadcrumbs. Although optional, I like to add a sprinkle of breadcrumbs to get an extra crisp gratin top. I prefer homemade breadcrumbs (grated stale bread) but store-bought works too.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use bottled tomato sauce, in lieu of canned or fresh tomatoes?
I personally prefer making a quick homemade sauce with canned or fresh tomatoes, to ensure I keep a chunky texture. With homemade sauce, I also know exactly the amount of salt or other seasonings that go into the sauce. That said, if you don’t have time for homemade, opting for a store-bought tomato sauce is fine too. Make sure you cook it on the stove top for a few minutes to thicken it a bit.
Do I have to peel the eggplants?
No. There is no need to peel the eggplants if you wash them under cold water before. The skin actually holds lots of nutrition and yields a “meatier” texture to the cooked eggplant. But if you really must peel the eggplants (they are difficult to digest for some), you can do it!
The eggplants turned out “chewy”, what happened?
Chewy eggplants mean they are undercooked. To avoid this, make sure you cut the eggplants into 1/4-inch-thick rounds, no thicker. If they are thicker, they will take a longer time to be fully cooked through.
The gratin ended up “watery”, what happened?
This is likely because the eggplants released excess water when they cooked. To avoid this, make sure you let them sweat out with salt for at least 45 minutes before you start the recipe. They will release lots of moisture that way, which won’t be released later when they bake in the gratin.
How to store leftovers?
To store leftovers, let the gratin cool completely to room temperature and transfer into an airtight container. Keep in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. Reheat in the oven at 350°F/180°C for about 20 minutes.
Audrey’s cooking notes:
- This is a simple recipe, but it does require a bit of active time – especially the initial pan frying of the eggplant slices. This recipe may be best suited for weekends, rather than busy weeknights. Although the good news is that I think it tastes even better when made ahead and re-heated the next day, like a lot of gratins and saucy dishes do.
I hope you’ll love this Provençal Eggplant Tomato Gratin recipe as much as I do. If you have any questions, please leave a comment.
More Provence recipes to try:
- Eggplant Caviar Dip (Caviar d’Aubergine)
- Roasted Red Pepper Dip (Poivronade)
- Black Olive Tapenade
- Layered Vegetable Tian
- Cod Provençal with tomatoes, olives and capers
- Stuffed Tomatoes (Tomates Farcies)
- Chicken Provençal with cherry tomatoes and olives
- French Pistou Sauce
- Provençal Chickpea Salad
Note: This recipe was first published in August 2020. I updated it in July 2024, with new step-by-step photos and photos of the finished dish. I also improved the recipe instructions, and added an extra ½ – ¾ cup (60g – 90gr) of grated mozzarella cheese, which helps hold the gratin together and make it ever more delicious and satisfying.
59 comments
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Made for the first time this morning. Excellent recipe–will make again.
Thank you!
Made this today! My first time making it and it was a winner! 9 out of 10!
Amazing, thanks Joanne!
Audrey, I mistakenly rated this recipe 2-starts when trying to click it to see the reviews. My apologies, it will not let me change it!
No worries Colin, thank you for letting us know! Leaving a comment is good too!
Made this tonight and it was delicious. Even my husband who is not much of an eggplant fan had several helpings. I cut the recipe in half cause there’s just the two of us and it worked great. Thanks so much for a wonderful recipe.
Fantastic, thank you Susan!
Made this dish last night, absolutely delicious, really enjoyed it ! First time I “salted” eggplant, and will start doing this process when needed. I thought it improved the texture of the eggplant in the final dish. I’m making the Cod Provencal with tomatoes, capers dish this evening. Thanks, Audrey
Thank you for your feedback Doreen, so glad to hear you enjoyed this dish!
Interesting and lovely recipes
Thank you
thank you!
Where in France do you come from? I would like some other refreshing French Dishes from you as I will be ordering your books in the near future.
Thank you!
I’m originally from (and back living in) Bretagne, in the Northwest of France. In english, it’s more commonly known as “Brittany”. I live right along the coast. I love it!
Being lactose intolerant, I’m going to leave out the mozzarella. I can use the grated Parmigiano (no lactose),going to mix with bread crumbs on top only. Any other suggestions ?
I recently found out (or so the news report said) that any cheese that has been aged 6 months or more is naturally lactose free, as the bacteria eats it all up. In that case, you could use any cheese that comes aged!
This was a very tasty recipe that took me about 45 minutes to serve from start to finish as I didn’t sweat the eggplant slices, and rarely do for most dishes. I added about a cup of white wine to simmer the tomato/onion/herb mixture to add a bit of flavor and create a chunky sauce. I did top the whole thing with home-made breadcrumbs and spayed the top with olive oil to help creat even browning under the broiler. The dish went extremely well with slow-braised lamb shanks Provencal and I highly recommend you try this easy recipe.
Thanks, Richard! Those personal touches sound amazing and especially to accompany a braised lamb shank Provencal. Love a little kiss from the broiler as well!
Do you think I could use the air fryer to prepare the egg plant before assembling the dish?
Hello, Linda! While I have never used an airfryer before, I have heard some great things about them, and think you could prep the eggplants ahead of time using one at the unit’s highest temperature.
Perhaps try one slice to start, just to get an idea on the timing. But overall I see no reason why it wouldn’t work out.
This was so delicious, I made it twice in a week. If you don’t like eggplant, try it anyway: you will love eggplant after tasting this!
Super kind words, thank you so much! Couldn’t agree with you more about this one… If there’s a dish that’ll turn someone into an eggplant lover, this might be it!
Clear instructions got me to a delicious meal. Excellent recipe!
Merci, Annette! That’s my main goal with this blog, so I’m glad to know it was mission accomplished! I hope you’ll get to try other recipes soon.
Made this for supper tonight, quite labour intensive but so worth it. Will have again! Just returned from 2 weeks in Perigord region and made us wish to be back in France!
Thank you so much, Gaynor! Knowing a recipe transported you back to France is the ultimate compliment! It does take a bit of prep, but as you said… So worth it!
This sounds delish! What size dish? It looks like 9×8?
Good eye, Francie! This baking dish is an oddly shaped dish, that’s somehwhere in the vicinity of 8.5″ x 8.5″. Enjoy!
Can you brush sliced eggplant with evoo and riast roast instead of pan frying? Thanks.
Helen, I haven’t done this myself, but it should absolutely work! The point is just to cook them through and possibly impart a tiny bit of char (though not necessary)… So the oven should work perfectly!
Look forward to making this soonest ! Thankyou .
Hope you’ll enjoy, Hilary! Would love to know what you thought 🙂
I made the eggplant provencale today for dinner. It came out as a beautiful dish that actually looked like the picture. Flavors developed very well as the sauce cooked, and cooking the eggplant prior to baking made the slices succulent in the casserole.
This recipe is a new part of my vegetarian entree repertoire. Sometimes you just don’t want meat!
That’s wonderful praise Kenneth, thank you so much! You obviously nailed the recipe. It’s really a nice change from the typical lasagna, which usually contains meat and is much heavier. My husband, who loves his meat, gives absolutely zero complaints when this dish is served. Thanks for reviewing and hope you’ll continue to enjoy the dish each time.
Thank you so much for sharing this detailed recipe!
You’re very welcome, please enjoy!
Bonjour!
I can’t tell you how happy I am to find your website. This recipe looks delicious. I would love some more vegetarian recipes for dinner.
I love it here so thank you,
Sadie
Welcome to my site, Sadie! I’m so glad you found it as well. There are plenty of vegetarian recipes on the blog and more will come for sure. I hope you’ll get to try them and I’d love to know what you think. Bon appetit! 🙂
I can’t eat mozzarella, can I leave it out or sub with something?
Hello, Carol! Is it stricly a Mozzarella thing, or a cheese thing in general? You could sub with any cheese of your choosing that melts well, like havarti, provolone, youngish gouda, scamorza… Or, you can absolutely leave it out entirely, but it does take away from the dish a bit. That said, I have made it without cheese many times for myself when I want something truly light, and I still enjoy it!
I made this dish a week ago and loved every bite. I could have used a couple of extra hands. I will be making it again soon. I enjoy your postings and comments. Thanks.
Thank you so very much, I’m thrilled you enjoyed the gratin! It’s one of those dishes that does take a little bit of time, but comes together quicker each time you make it 🙂
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I appreciate the support 🙂
Can I make this a day in advance?
Thanks!
Hello Tiziana! This recipe reheats quite well, so I’d have no issue baking it the day ahead, cooling it completely, covering it well and then reheating the next day at 350 for 15-20min.
I don’t know if prepping it and baking it the next day will work well or not, as the acidity in the tomatoes may soften the eggplants too much… But it could work.
Quite tasty and filling, thank you.
Thank you so much, Oliver! 🙂
I’ve been with you since your start! You continue to grow and amaze me! I just love how you show us the three step photos with the directions for these recipes! It’s great for visually inclined people and it’s fun!
Merci beaucoup! Joanie
Very much appreciated, Joanie! The photos take a lot of work, but I know they are appreciated and valued by readers, so I try to do my best each time.
I don’t sweat the liquid out of the eggplants because you are throwing all of the water-soluble vitamins away when you do that. I’m sure that French cooks in the 18th and 19th centuries didn’t bother themselves with vitamins (because they didn’t know anything about them) but we now know. I sprinkle a layer of uncooked pasta on the bottom of the dish to absorb all of the liquid and it all comes out cooked perfectly!
This is a great tip for those who want to keep every last nutrient in their dish, Susan! In baked goods I almost always add oats at the bottom to absorb the liquids, but never thought of adding uncooked pasta for savory dishes, which would absolutely act in the same way. Thanks!
Salting draws out some internal water, which may contain minor traces of water-soluble vitamins like B vitamins and vitamin C. However, the amount of vitamins lost in the sweating liquid is minimal. Eggplant isn’t particularly high in water-soluble vitamins to begin with. Its main nutrients are fiber, manganese, antioxidants, and small amounts of B vitamins.
So unless you’re drinking the sweating liquid (not recommended!), you’re losing only a tiny fraction of nutrients.
If you dip the eggplant in egg whites before you fry, they don’t absorb as much of the oil!
You know… Now that you mention it, Linda, I remember hearing this somewhere many years ago. Do you find it changes anything in regards to the taste or texture?
Looks delicious! What would you pair this with if you used it as a side dish instead of the main course?
I’m in a total summer mood, Katie, so I think this would pair amazingly well with some beef and veggie skewers, or some simple bbq chicken! It honestly goes with just about anything.