Pork Parmigiana Patties
By Emma
Certified Culinary Professional
•
Recipe tested & approved
Lean pork patties mixed with egg, breadcrumbs, and herbs, layered with tender grilled eggplant slices, rich tomato sauce, and melted mozzarella. Served with garlic-infused linguine tossed in olive oil and a hint of chili. A rustic, hearty dish balancing textures and flavors from pan-searing to oven broiling. Timing and tactile cues crucial for perfect doneness and fond development in sauce.
Prep:
30 min
Cook:
28 min
Total:
58 min
Servings:
4 servings
#Italian-inspired
#one-pan sauce
#garlic pasta
#pork recipes
#weeknight dinner
Pork patties topped with grilled eggplant and molten mozzarella. Bold tomato sauce simmered right in the skillet, picking up every brown crisp from searing meat. Garlic pasta on the side, oily and fragrant, with just a hint of chili to lift the earthiness. Learned the hard way that chilling patties prevents them falling apart. Eggplants need that golden crust to avoid sogginess. Mozzarella melts best under broiler heat—give it a watch or risk bitter burnt cheese. Pasta water is magic; always save a bit to finish the noodles slickly. Could easily swap pork for turkey if you want lighter, but fat’s needed for juiciness. Watch cooking times; pork must lose its pink, but no need for drying out. Textural contrast here hits every note, tangy, mildly spicy, creamy cheese, and herb-fragrant.
Ingredients
- 460 g pork lean ground
- 1 egg lightly beaten
- 25 ml fine breadcrumbs
- 40 ml whole milk
- 4 ml dried oregano
- 4 ml onion salt
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes
- 1 medium eggplant sliced into 8 rounds about 1.3 cm thick
- 65 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 120 g shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 medium yellow onion chopped finely
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1 can 400 ml crushed Italian tomatoes
- 2 ml dried oregano
- 230 g linguine pasta
- 5 garlic cloves minced
- 50 ml olive oil for pasta
About the ingredients
Adjust breadcrumbs by replacing 15 ml with ground oats or panko for crunch. Milk can be any type, including plant-based alternatives—helps bind and adds moisture. Onion salt can be replaced with finely chopped fresh onion plus regular salt if unavailable. Red pepper flakes optional; fresh chili or cayenne work too but adjust for heat. Mozzarella—go low moisture for better melting, but fresh mozzarella works in a pinch; just drain well. Olive oil quality matters; using virgin or extra virgin increases flavor, but regular olive oil will do in a pinch. Tomatoes best with crushed canned Italian for acidity and texture; fresh tomatoes can be blended but add water as needed. Use fresh herbs if possible, dried oregano gives earthy aroma but fresh basil or thyme would give a different twist.
Method
Pork Patties
- Mix pork, egg, breadcrumbs, milk, oregano, onion salt, red pepper flakes. Fresh or stale breadcrumbs? Use stale for better texture. Season with freshly cracked pepper. Form eight thin patties. Chill 15 min minimum to bind; helps patties hold shape when cooking.
- Heat half oil in wide skillet over medium-high. Fry eggplant rounds till golden, ~3 min each side. Look for golden edges, tender flesh. Salt and pepper while hot. Remove, keep warm.
- Same pan, add oil if needed. Sear patties 2–3 min per side till well browned but not fully cooked. You want that crust, flavorful fond underneath—the base for sauce.
Tomato Sauce
- Keep pan hot. Toss in onion and garlic; sweat gently in pork fat and olive oil until translucent—no brown. Add crushed tomatoes and oregano. Raise heat till bubbles form, lower to simmer 5–7 min. Sauce thickens slightly, edges darken. Season with salt, pepper. Simmer with patties in sauce, cover loosely, cook 7 min until pork done through (poke with fork to check clear juices).
- Top each patty with eggplant slice, scatter mozzarella evenly. Move skillet under broiler; watch carefully 4–5 min until cheese melts, bubbles, browns golden—don’t burn.
Garlic Pasta
- Boil pasta in salted water till just al dente—check by bite, slight resistance. Reserve 60 ml pasta water, drain.
- In same pot, warm oil over medium. Add minced garlic and pinch red pepper flakes. Cook low and slow – you want fragrant, golden garlic, not bitter burnt bits. Toss pasta back into pot, splash reserved water for silky coating. Adjust salt, pepper to taste. Mix thoroughly to combine.
- Serve patties hot, topped with eggplant and bubbly cheese, alongside garlicky linguine.
- Enjoy crispy edges, creamy cheese pulls, sweet acidic sauce, slightly smoky eggplant. Texture contrast and fresh herb fragrance carries everything.
Tips & Tricks
- Don’t overwork pork mixture or patties toughen. Use lean pork but leave some fat for moisture or add a tablespoon of ricotta if dry. If no fresh eggplant, swap with zucchini slices, fry same way but less time. Mozzarella can be replaced with provolone or even grated parmesan for sharper flavor.
- If sauce tastes flat, add a teaspoon balsamic vinegar or splash red wine during simmer step. Leftover pasta water is gold; use to loosen sauce and enhance silkiness. Broil step adds smoky finish, but watch—cheese browns fast.
- You can prep patties in advance and refrigerate, just add a few extra minutes in the pan to ensure cooked through.
Cooking tips
Work fast but keep an eye on color and texture at every stage. Browning meat is about Maillard reaction; the brown crust means flavor, so don’t overcrowd the pan or steam the meat. Eggplant should sizzle but not burn; golden with soft inside is the goal. Sauce builds on fond, so don’t wash pan after meat, let onion and garlic soak up those flavors. Simmer times flexible; watch bubbling and consistency rather than strict minutes. Cheese under broiler only seconds; open door to peek, cheese changes from white to bubbly to browned fast. Pasta al dente is key—overcooked noodles kill mouthfeel. Garlic oil needs low heat; burnt garlic equals bitter notes. Toss pasta well, adding reserved water to loosen, shining with glisten. Salt and pepper at end to let all flavors settle. This recipe demands sensory cues over timers, but rest assured you’ll hear the sizzle and see the transformation with practice.
Chef's notes
- 💡 Don’t rush forming patties. Chill minimum 15 min or they fall apart mid-sear. Texture changes with binding agents—stale breadcrumbs create better crust than fresh. Ricotta works if pork too lean; moisture retention key or dryness shows.
- 💡 Fry eggplant in plenty of oil but medium-high heat only—surface should crisp golden, inside soft. Salt while still hot—draws bitterness out fast. Swap zucchini if eggplant missing but watch less cook time. Keep warmth before plating.
- 💡 Sear patties 2 or 3 min per side but don’t cook through yet; crust forms flavor base. Watch fond buildup on pan bottom—not black, but deep brown flakes for sauce foundation. Overcrowding steams meat; small batches better.
- 💡 Simmer tomato sauce low and slow after adding crushed tomatoes. Oregano earthy note comes from dried herbs; fresh basil or thyme change profile but good alternatives. Sauce thickens, edges darken—visual clues for texture depth.
- 💡 Broil with cheese careful seconds. Melt, bubble, then light golden brown. Burnt mozzarella ruins taste instantly. Keep skillet near broiler, door cracked to peek often. Garlic pasta needs low heat, slow cook for fragrant oil—not bitter black bits.
Common questions
How to prevent patties falling apart?
Chill is critical, binders matter. Breadcrumbs stale better. Ricotta adds moisture. Don’t overwork mix or too dense. Keep patties thin for cooking evenly.
What if no eggplant?
Zucchini slices replace well, less frying time. Grill also option; flavor shifts. Or skip entirely but readjust sauce volume, maybe add more mozzarella on top.
Sauce too flat?
Balsamic vinegar splash or red wine splash during simmer adds acidity, depth. Taste often; layering flavors gradual. No vinegar? Little lemon juice or Worcestershire used in pinch.
How to store leftovers?
Refrigerate sealed few days. Reheat gently, cover to keep moisture. Pasta separate from patties best. Freeze in airtight container, defrost overnight. Avoid reheating cheese under broiler again.
