A rich, homey casserole that's authentically Italian, eggplant parmesan features layers of soft, tender eggplant, tomato sauce, and melted cheese. To add a special flavor to a lighter, brighter, version of this dish, Tasting Table recipe developer Ting Dalton adds a secret ingredient that you may already have in your pantry.

Dalton adds white wine vinegar to the casserole, which stands out because its zing helps cut through the richness of eggplant parmesan. She explains that just two teaspoons of this vinegar added alongside the tomatoes "lifts the tomato sauce and adds an extra tanginess alongside the aromatic basil and fragrant garlic."

Dalton also skips frying the eggplant and instead slices it into rounds, salts them, blots them with paper towels, breads them with panko and Parmesan, and bakes them in the oven until golden brown. She then adds tomato sauce with olive oil, crushed tomatoes, garlic, and the white wine vinegar, plus more cheese.