Parmigiana di Melanazane
A comforting Italian bake made with tender fried aubergine, rich tomato sauce, creamy mozzarella, and freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano, perfect for sharing.
Ingredients
Vegetables
- 2 large aubergines/eggplant around 700g/1.5 lbs
- small bunch basil
Sauce and Cheese
- 1.5 lbs pureed tomatoes (passata) chunky or smooth texture (700g)
- 8.8 oz mozzarella cheese cut into cubes (250g)
- 3/4 cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese freshly grated (70g)
Cooking Essentials
- 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- Flour for dusting
- 1/2 cup sunflower oil for frying (around 125ml)
- to taste Salt and pepper to season
Instructions
Preparation
- Thinly slice the eggplant/aubergines then place them in a colander. Sprinkle them lightly with salt and set them aside for 1 hour.
- Meanwhile, finely chop 1 onion and sauté in a pan with the olive oil until translucent and soft but not browned.
- Add the tomato passata and a small bunch of torn basil. Add a pinch of salt and pepper, stir, then let it simmer gently for 10-15 minutes. Set aside.
- Rinse the eggplant slices under cold water and pat them dry with a kitchen towel or paper.
- Lightly dust them with flour, shaking off any excess.
Frying and Baking
- Fry the eggplant slices in sunflower oil for a few seconds each side, then drain on kitchen paper to remove excess oil.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4.
- Spoon a small amount of tomato sauce into the bottom of a baking dish to prevent sticking.
- Layer the eggplant, followed by Parmesan, mozzarella, pepper, and tomato sauce. Continue layering until you have one top layer left.
- For the top layer, spoon over the remaining tomato sauce and top with Parmesan and mozzarella.
- Cover loosely with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 20 minutes until golden and bubbling.
- Let it rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
Serve warm with a crisp green salad dressed simply with olive oil and vinegar or crusty bread. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days.