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Parmigiana di melanzane (Eggplant Parmesan)

Prep Time1 hour
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time2 hours

Ingredients

For the eggplant:

  • 3-4 large eggplants
  • 6 eggs
  • 75 g 3 oz grated pecorino romano cheese
  • A few sprigs of fresh parsley finely chopped
  • Salt and pepper

For the tomato sauce:

  • 1 large can of tomatoes preferably imported San Marzano
  • 2-3 cloves of garlic slightly crushed and peeled
  • Olive oil
  • A basil leaf or two
  • Salt

For assembling the parmigiana:

  • 1 large ball of mozzarella cheese preferably fresh
  • 100 g of grated Parmesan cheese
  • A few fresh basil leaves shredded

Instructions

  • Prepare the eggplant. Cut the eggplants into fairly thin slices. Now you should 'purge' them of their excess liquid, which can be bitter. Sprinkle the eggplant slices with salt, and then lay them in a colander laid on top of a plate. Cover the slices with a small plate on which you should place something a bit heavy like a can of beans or tomatoes. This will help press the liquid out of the eggplant. Leave them for about an hour. You should notice a small puddle of brownish water below the colander, which you should discard, of course. Remove the slices from the colander and pat them dry.
  • Fry the eggplant. Dip the eggplant slices in flour, followed by an egg and cheese 'bath' made from beaten eggs, grated pecorino cheese, finely chopped parsley, salt and pepper. Shallow fry the eggplant slices over moderate heat until they are golden brown on the outside and tender inside.
  • You will need to fry the eggplant slices in batches. As each batch is done, drain and set on paper towels to absorb the excess oil as you continue with the next batch. Repeat until you're done.
  • Prepare the tomato sauce. In the meanwhile, prepare a very light tomato sauce by combining chopped tomatoes (fresh if in season, but canned tomatoes are fine), a few leaves of fresh basil, salt, chopped garlic and just a few drops of olive oil. Simmer for about 15 minutes, until the tomatoes have melted into a sauce If using canned tomatoes, add a bit of water to loosen the sauce before simmering.
  • Prepare the cheeses. Take a large mozzarella, preferably fresh, and slice it. Grate lots of parmesan cheese, at least a cupful (you can grate it as you assemble the dish).
  • Assemble the dish. You are now ready to assemble the dish. In a bake-and-serve pan, place a layer of the fried eggplant slices, then a bit of the tomato sauce, then a few mozzarella slices, a bit of shredded basil (optional) and grated parmesan cheese. Season. Then add another layer of eggplant and continue until you've used up your ingredients. End with tomato sauce and parmesan. (Don't put mozzarella on top, it will brown too quickly in the oven and burn.)
  • Baking. Bake in a hot oven (400 F, 200 C) for about 30 minutes, or until the dish is bubbling hot and the top a bit brown. Let the dish cool a bit before eating, at least 15 minutes. In fact, it tastes best made ahead and reheated (just a bit) before eating. It can also be eaten at room temperature.