TABELIAAUTHENTIC RECIPE
Melanzane alla ParmigianaEggplant Parmigiana
- Total
- 1 hr 46 min
- Difficulty
- ★★☆☆☆
- Serves
- 4 servings
- Prep 36 min
- Cook 1 hr 10 min
A rich southern Italian vegetable dish: eggplant is salted to draw out moisture, fried, then layered with tomato sauce, mozzarella and Parmigiano and baked.
AUTHENTICITY SCORE
Authenticity Score
This is the standard recipe, exactly as it’s made where it comes from — the highest Authenticity Score possible. Substituting ingredients changes this score; the app shows exactly how, ingredient by ingredient.
Ingredients (4 servings)
100Authenticity- Eggplants900 gSlice lengthwise 7 mm thick, then salt to draw out moisture
- Tomato passata700 ml
- Fior di latte mozzarella250 gCut into 1 cm cubes and drain
- Parmigiano Reggiano80 gGrate
- Fresh basil12 pieces
- Garlic1 cloveLightly crush
- Frying oil1000 ml
- Extra virgin olive oil30 ml
- Salt14 g
Method
Draw moisture from the eggplant
- 1 Trim the stems from 900 g eggplant and slice lengthwise 7 mm thick.
- 2 Sprinkle all over with 10 g salt, arrange in a colander and leave for 40 minutes.
Ready when
The surface should release moisture and the slices should bend softly.
Prepare the cheese and garlic
- 1 Cut 250 g mozzarella into 1 cm cubes and drain in a colander.
- 2 Grate 80 g Parmigiano Reggiano.
- 3 Lightly crush 1 garlic clove.
Make the tomato sauce
- 1 Put 30 ml extra virgin olive oil and the garlic in a saucepan over low heat.
- 2 Once fragrant, add 700 ml passata, 4 g salt and 4 basil leaves, then simmer for 20 minutes.
- 3 Remove the garlic once the sauce has reduced slightly and its acidity has mellowed.
Dry the eggplant
- 1 Rinse the released moisture briefly from the eggplant under running water, then dry thoroughly with paper towels.
Caution
Leave no surface moisture that could make the oil splatter.
Fry the eggplant
- 1 Heat 1000 ml frying oil to 170°C and add a few eggplant slices at a time.
- 2 Fry on both sides for 2–3 minutes, then transfer to a rack once pale golden and soft.
Build the layers
- 1 In an ovenproof dish, layer tomato sauce, eggplant, mozzarella, Parmigiano Reggiano and basil in that order.
- 2 Repeat in the same order to make about 3 layers, finishing with tomato sauce and Parmigiano.
Preheat the oven to 190°C
- 1 Preheat the oven to 190°C.
Ready when
Make sure the layers are even all the way to the edges of the dish and that a thin layer of cheese covers the top.
Bake until golden
- 1 Bake in a 190°C oven for 30 minutes.
- 2 Remove when the surface is well browned and the sauce bubbles gently at the edges.
Rest after baking
- 1 Leave to rest for 10 minutes.
- 2 It is ready when the layers have settled and do not run excessively when cut.
About this dish
Summer markets in southern Italy are piled high with glossy eggplants, ripe tomatoes and basil. Melanzane alla parmigiana layers and bakes these seasonal ingredients and is widely loved, especially in Campania and Sicily.
One theory derives the dish’s name from its use of Parmigiano, while another links it to a Sicilian word for the slats of a shutter, because the layers of eggplant resemble them. Its modern form is thought to have become established as tomatoes and cheese became more widely used in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Although meatless, it has enough presence for a celebratory table. Its layers of vegetables, dairy products and tomato sauce symbolize the richness of southern Italian home cooking.
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