Parmigiana di Melanzane
Description
Classic Italian eggplant casserole (Parmigiana di Melanzane) with layers of fried eggplant, homemade tomato sauce, mozzarella, and Parmesan cheese.
Ingredients
- 4 large eggplants
- 500g passata (sieved tomatoes)
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 handful fresh basil
- 300g freshly grated Parmesan
- 350g mozzarella, sliced
- 1 medium onion
- Oil for frying
- Flour for frying
- Salt and pepper
- 3 cloves garlic
- 100g grated Pecorino (optional)
Instructions
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Cut the eggplants into finger-thick slices and sprinkle with some salt. Set aside and let drain for about an hour (Note: they will draw water, so put them in an appropriate container).
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Then pat dry well and roll in flour. Heat oil in a pan and fry the eggplants in it, then pat dry well with kitchen paper (lighter version: don’t fry but grill in the pan - but it doesn’t taste as good).
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Meanwhile, make a sauce from the sieved tomatoes, 1-2 cloves of garlic, onion, basil and olive oil as follows: In a pot, fry the finely chopped onion and pressed or chopped garlic in olive oil until golden brown, add the tomatoes and finally season with the finely chopped basil leaves (Tip: some pine nuts give a special aroma).
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Now brush a baking dish with some olive oil, finely chop the remaining garlic and distribute part of it on the bottom of the dish. Distribute eggplants on top, spread sauce on top, cover with mozzarella slices and sprinkle some Parmesan over it. Now layer again: garlic, eggplants, sauce, mozzarella and finally the remaining Parmesan.
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Bake in preheated oven at 200°C until a golden brown crust forms, this takes about 35-40 minutes.
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For special flavor, I add about 100g grated Pecorino to the last layer together with the Parmesan, which gives a more intense taste.
Notes
Chef’s Tip: Add some pine nuts to the tomato sauce for extra aroma.
Lighter Version: Instead of frying the eggplant, you can grill it in the pan (though it won’t taste as good).
Author: Honigkleinkind
Source: https://www.chefkoch.de/rezepte/545381152023279/Parmigiana-di-Melanzane.html