Labor Inducing Eggplant Parmesan Recipe (Scalini’s Authentic Recipe)

Sharing is caring! If you love this post, please share!

Trying to jump start labor? Scalini’s famous labor inducing eggplant parmesan recipe might help!

plate of eggplant parm

Growing up in Metro Atlanta, Scalini’s Old-Fashioned Italian Restaurant in Smyrna GA was a staple of my childhood. It was located in Cobb County, which is where I lived, and I can remember visiting it dozens of times growing up for family dinners and nights out with friends.

When I became pregnant with my first child I learned that Scalini’s was not only famous for having delicious, affordable Italian food. They were actually world-renowned for their labor inducing eggplant parmesan recipe!

Turns out that Scalini’s had been helping women go into labor for decades. Before the restaurant closed in 2022, Scalini’s owner John Bogino said that while he had lost track of how many babies the recipe had been credited with helping to bring into the world, he guessed “it was well over 1,000!”

This eggplant legend spread through word of mouth until it had become almost natural to remark to anyone very pregnant in the area “Have you tried Scalini’s yet??”

So, like any good Atlanta mom who had hit her due date, my husband and I drove the short distance to Scalini’s from our home because I really wanted to have an “Eggplant Baby.” We thought it would be so funny to have a baby join the “Second Generation Club” and have their photo on the Eggplant Baby wall, like so many other babies born over the last almost 40 years.

We loaded up on the eggplant parm the night of my due date during that visit in 2018. And yup, I started having contractions on the ride home! Below is me and my husband at Scalini’s that night, with a big dish of the famous eggplant recipe in front of me.

author and her husband at Scalini's

While our oldest didn’t make his appearance in the next few days, Scalini’s eggplant parmesan did become one of our family’s favorite late pregnancy traditions. You can read more about my oldest son’s birth story here.

That’s one of the reasons we, like so many local families, were devastated when Scalini’s Italian Restaurant announced they had closed in 2022. It hit especially hard because I was currently pregnant with our third child and had been looking forward to chowing down again on their famous dish.

Luckily, Scalini’s shared their entire original recipe, which we were able to recreate at home, and just a few days later our third son was born. Was it the eggplant? Who knows!

But it was wonderful to be able to include our 2 oldest boys in the tradition this time. This eggplant parmesan for labor recipe has helped thousands of women all over the world go into labor and have their own eggplant babies!

Note: Some links may be affiliate links. That means I may make a commission if you use my links to purchase, at no extra added cost to you! I only recommend products that I personally love and believe in. Additionally, I am not a medical professional and this post is not meant to be medical advice. This article is for informational (and delicious) purposes. Full disclaimer here.

cheesy eggplant parm being served

Why does eggplant help with labor?

Many foods are sworn to help induce labor. Some of them, like spicy food, irritate the gastrointestinal tract, which sometimes can help induce labor.

According to the owner of Scalini’s, they were never able to decide what made Scalini’s eggplant parmesan recipe induce so many labors. His opinion was that it was a combination of the spices they used with the eggplant!

How long does it take for eggplant to induce labor?

According to lore (or old wives’ tales), when pregnant women eat Scalini’s eggplant recipe, they go into labor within two days. However, keep in mind that there’s no official research that shows that eggplant induces labor.

While this labor inducing eggplant recipe helps many women, it also doesn’t start labor in many others. Like any natural techniques for helping to induce labor, your body has to be ready.

I recommend eating this after the 39th week of pregnancy, or better yet, after you’ve hit 40 weeks.

Ingredients Needed for Labor Inducing Eggplant Parmesan

ingredients for eggplant parm

There are quite a few ingredients for this recipe, but it’s SO worth it. Remember, you’re recreating the Scalini’s Italian Restaurant authentic recipe from scratch!

  • 2-3 medium size eggplants
  • Flour
  • Beaten eggs
  • Fine Italian bread crumbs
  • Olive oil
  • Grated Romano cheese
  • Grated Parmesan cheese
  • Shredded Mozzarella cheese
  • Ricotta cheese
  • Chopped garlic
  • Chopped tomatoes (fresh or canned)
  • Chopped onions
  • Fresh chopped parsley
  • Oregano
  • Crushed red pepper
  • Fresh chopped sweet basil
  • Thyme
  • Rosemary
  • Salt
  • Black pepper

According to Scalini’s, you want to use every single ingredient on this list and not leave anything out for best results.

2 plates of eggplant parm

How to Make Scalini’s Eggplant Parmesan

To make this eggplant parmesan labor recipe, it takes a bit of extra love and time. You’ll not only be assembling the dish, but you’ll also be making Scalini’s marinara sauce from scratch instead of using store bought tomato sauce!

This recipe courtesy of John Bogino, the owner of Scalini’s, who shared this secret recipe when the restaurant closed.

After you wash the eggplant, slice them into 1/4 inch thick slices, leaving the skin on.

Place the eggplant slices on a layer of paper towels and sprinkle with a little salt, then cover with another layer of paper towels and hold it down with something heavy. This will drain the excess moisture. Let them sit for about an hour.

While the eggplant sits, begin making the thick marinara sauce. Lightly sauté the onions in olive oil in a large pot for a few minutes. Add garlic and sauté another minute. Add tomatoes and bring sauce to boil, then turn heat to low.

made from scratch marinara sauce

Add remaining ingredients, stir, cover and let simmer for one hour, stirring occasionally. Turn off heat after 1 hour.

Once the eggplant has set for an hour on the paper towels, begin working with one slice of eggplant at a time. Dust with flour, then dip in beaten eggs, then coat well with bread crumbs. Saute’ in preheated olive oil on both sides until golden brown.

coating the eggplant slices in layers

In baking dish, alternate layers of marinara sauce, eggplant slices, ricotta, parmesan, and romano cheeses, until you fill the baking dish about an 1/8 inch from the top.

casserole dish of eggplant parmesan before going into the oven

Cover with shredded mozzarella cheese and bake for 25 minutes in 375 degree oven. Let set for 10 minutes before serving.

cooked dish of eggplant parmesan scalini's atlanta recipe
plate of eggplant parm

Labor Inducing Eggplant Parmesan (Scalini's Authentic Recipe!)

Yield: 8
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes

Trying to jump start labor? Scalini’s famous labor inducing eggplant parmesan recipe might help!

Ingredients

  • 2-3 medium size eggplants
  • 1 cup of flour
  • 6 eggs, beaten
  • 4 cups fine Italian bread crumbs, seasoned
  • Olive oil for saute’ing
  • 8 cups of marinara sauce (recipe included)
  • 1/2 cup of grated Romano cheese
  • 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 lbs of Mozzarella cheese shredded
  • 2 cups of Ricotta cheese

For the Marinara Sauce

  • 2 tablespoons of chopped garlic
  • 3 tablespoons of olive oil
  • 8 cups chopped tomatoes (fresh or canned)
  • 1 cup onions chopped
  • 1/2 cup of fresh chopped parsley
  • 1 teaspoon of oregano
  • 1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper
  • 1/8 cup of fresh chopped sweet basil
  • Pinch of thyme
  • Pinch of rosemary
  • One teaspoon salt
  • One teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

  1. After you wash the eggplant, slice them into 1/4 inch thick slices, leaving on the skin.
  2. Place the eggplant slices on a layer of paper towels and sprinkle with a little salt, then cover with another layer of paper towels and hold it down with something heavy. This will drain the excess moisture. Let them sit for about an hour.
  3. While the eggplant sits, begin making the marinara sauce. Lightly sauté the onions in olive oil in a large pot for a few minutes. Add garlic and sauté another minute. Add tomatoes and bring sauce to boil, then turn heat to low. Add remaining ingredients, stir, cover and let simmer for one hour, stirring occasionally. Turn off heat after 1 hour.
  4. Once the eggplant has set for an hour, begin working with one slice of eggplant at a time. Dust with flour, then dip in beaten eggs, then coat well with bread crumbs. Sauté in preheated olive oil on both sides until golden brown.
  5. In baking dish, alternate layers of marinara sauce, eggplant slices, ricotta, parmesan, and Romano cheeses, until you fill the baking dish about an 1/8 inch from the top.
  6. Cover with shredded mozzarella cheese and bake for 25 minutes in 375 degree oven. Let set for 10 minutes before serving.

Did you make this recipe?

I want to see! Tag @simply.siobhan and #mimosasandmotherhood on Instagram or share this recipe to Facebook!

You might also enjoy these articles:

FREE Positive Printable Birth Affirmation Cards To Get You Through Labor

How to Induce Labor Naturally

How to Reduce Labor Pain During Natural Childbirth

Scalini’s eggplant parmigiana has helped thousands of women go into labor, and might help you too! This family recipe was a favorite among pregnant patrons for nearly 40 years. If you enjoyed this recipe, please share it on social media or pin it on Pinterest to help other mamas to be, too!

If it helps you meet your little one, I would love to see. Share their baby pictures on Instagram and tag me @simply.siobhan or using the hashtag #mimosasandmotherhood so I can celebrate with you!

blog post title image

Sharing is caring! If you love this post, please share!

Similar Posts

0 Comments

  1. Can’t wait to try this! But question about the tomatoes- looks like you used whole canned tomatoes. Did you chop them? Use the juice? What size can? Thank you!

    1. Hi Jessica! If you scroll down to the recipe card at the end, I shared that you’ll need 8 cups of chopped tomatoes (it’s in the second section, for making the marinara sauce). You can use either fresh or canned! If you are using canned you’ll want a total of 64 ounces. I hope that helps!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *