I remember when my mom made Eggplant Parmigiana, also known as Parmigiana di Melanzane in Italian. It’s the best vegetarian comfort food recipe. Fried eggplants cooked in a dish with tomato sauce, basil, parmesan, and mozzarella cheese.
HOW TO MAKE EGGPLANT PARMIGIANA (PARMIGIANA DI MELANZANE) – STEP BY STEP
Ingredients
- 2 large aubergines/eggplant around 700g/ 1.5 lbs
- 1.5 lbs pureed tomatoes passata chunky texture (700g)
- 1 white onion
- Small bunch of basil
- 8.8 oz mozzarella cheese cut into cubes (250g)
- ¾ cup parmesan cheese freshly grated (70g)
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- flour for dusting
- sunflower oil for frying around ½ cup/125ml
- salt and pepper to season
Instructions
- The first thing to do is to salt the aubergines or eggplants.
- Cut them into thin slices and put them in a colander inside a bowl or sink.
- Sprinkle them lightly with salt and leave them for 1 hour. This helps remove excess water and makes them easier to fry.
- While waiting, you can make a simple tomato sauce.
- Chop 1 onion finely and cook it in a little olive oil until it becomes translucent.
- Then, add the tomato passata (pureed tomatoes) and a small bunch of basil torn with your hands.
- Sprinkle in a pinch of salt and pepper, stir, and let it simmer gently for 10-15 minutes. Set it aside.
- Next, wash the aubergines/eggplant with cold water to remove the salt, and dry them with a kitchen towel or paper. Then, coat them lightly in flour, remove any excess, and fry them in sunflower oil for a few seconds on each side, then drain.
- Preheat your oven to 180°C (350F). Spoon a small amount of tomato sauce into the bottom of a baking dish and spread it around to prevent the aubergines from sticking.
- Next, add a layer of aubergines to the dish, then sprinkle parmesan cheese, add cubes of mozzarella, sprinkle some pepper, and a little more tomato sauce.
- Repeat these layers until you have one layer left (photos 9-11).
- For the final layer, spoon over the remaining tomato sauce and top with parmesan and mozzarella.
- Loosely cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for another 20 minutes until golden and bubbling on top
Notes
- Always salt the eggplant before making this dish.
- Traditional eggplant parmigiana does not have breadcrumbs, flour is all you need.
- Cut the eggplant around ¼ inch (½cm) thick (don’t worry about being accurate just keep it thin cut).
- Once you’ve dusted a batch of eggplant in flour fry them straight away or the eggplant will soak up the flour and it can turn mushy.
- Use the highest quality pureed tomatoes (passata) for best results (low-quality tomatoes can ruin the whole dish).
- You can prep this whole dish in advance and store it in the fridge until you are ready to bake it.
- Leftovers will store well in the fridge for 3-4 days and can be reheated in the oven (covered) until piping hot all the way through. You can also eat leftovers cold with salad.
- You can also freeze leftovers or it uncooked if prepping ahead. Use aluminum foil trays so you can reheat from frozen.
Eggplant Parmigiana (also known as Eggplant Parmesan or Parmigiana di Melanzane) is one of my favorite authentic Italian recipes. It consists of fried eggplant, mozzarella cheese(optional), and parmesan baked together with a simple tomato sauce, creating a heavenly taste.
I have been eating this food for years and I have used my mother’s recipe for the first time this year. So I will never get tired of it. In fact I found that I really love this food that in my family we usually eat cold, from the fridge, ready for summer heat.
People Also Ask
Can you Freeze Eggplant Parmigiana?
Yes, you can prepare eggplant parmigiana in advance and freeze it, or freeze any leftovers.
Where people eat eggplant in Italy?
Two regions in Southern Italy, Puglia and Campania, each have their own version of Eggplant Parmigiana. In Puglia, the eggplant is dipped in egg, coated in flour, and then fried. I would add also Sicily, where my mom took the recipe and it is the easier version.
Do you leave the skin on eggplant parmesan?
The skin of the vegetable can be eaten and usually becomes soft when cooked, so it’s okay to keep it on in many recipes. However, I suggest peeling the eggplant for eggplant parmesan. When the eggplant is larger, the skin can get tough and bitter, which I prefer to avoid.
What are eggplant parmesan made of?
If you’ve never tried it, eggplant parmesan is an Italian dish made of slices of eggplant coated in flour and breadcrumbs, then baked in layers of rich marinara and melted cheese! It’s a must-try for any Italian food lovers.
Prepping the Eggplant Parmigiana
This 🧆dish involves a few preparation stages, but it’s quite effortless. Believe me, the extra steps are worth it. The aroma of bubbling tomato sauce and parmesan cheese baking in the oven is unbeatable, right?
I remembered my 🤶mother telling me that 🍆eggplant acts like a 🧽sponge, soaking up a lot of flavor. In my opinion, making eggplant parmigiana is the ultimate way to use it.
I’ve had a lot of people ask me if they need to peel the eggplant first and the answer is ⛔no.
Make eggplant parmigiana healthier
- This recipe can be made lighter by grilling the aubergines instead of frying them in 🍚flour.
- Another alternative to mozzarella cheese is using smoked scamorza cheese or smoked mozzarella, which gives the dish a wonderful smoky flavor.
- Also you can just put parmesan 🧀cheese without any other cheese.
In Conclusion
Eggplant Parmigiana, also known as Parmigiana di Melanzane, is a beloved Italian dish made with fried eggplant, mozzarella cheese (optional), parmesan, and a simple tomato sauce.
Originating from Southern Italy, particularly Puglia, Campania, and Sicily, it is a culinary delight for many.
This dish can be prepared in advance and frozen, and the eggplant is usually peeled for this recipe.
For a healthier version, grilling the eggplant or using smoked scamorza cheese are great options.
The layers of flavor and the delightful aroma make it an irresistible choice for any Italian food lover.
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