Parmigiana di Melanzane (Eggplant Parmigiana)

Source: Inside The Rustic Kitchen

Ingredients

• 2 large eggplants/aubergines (~700g)
• 700g pureed tomatoes (passata), chunky or smooth
• 1 white onion
• Small bunch of fresh basil
• 250g mozzarella cheese, cut into cubes
• 70g Parmigiano Reggiano, freshly grated (about 3/4 cup)
• 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• Flour, for dusting the eggplant
• Sunflower oil, for frying (about 125ml / 1/2 cup)
• Salt and pepper, to season

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Instructions

1. Slice and salt the eggplant

1. Cut the eggplants into thin slices, about 1/4 inch (1/2 cm) thick. Don’t worry about being exact, just keep it thin.
2. Place the slices in a colander set inside a bowl or the sink.
3. Sprinkle lightly with salt on both sides.
4. Set aside for 1 hour. This draws out excess moisture and prevents the parmigiana from becoming soggy while baking.

2. Make the tomato sauce

1. Finely chop the onion.
2. Heat 1/2 tbsp olive oil in a pan over medium heat.
3. Sauté the onion until translucent and soft, but not browned (about 5 minutes).
4. Add the passata (pureed tomatoes) to the pan.
5. Tear the basil leaves with your hands and add them to the sauce.
6. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
7. Stir, then let it simmer gently for 10-15 minutes.
8. Set aside.

3. Rinse, flour, and fry the eggplant

1. After the eggplant has rested for 1 hour, rinse the slices under cold water to remove the salt.
2. Pat them thoroughly dry with a kitchen towel or paper towels.
3. Lightly dust each slice in flour, shaking off any excess.
4. Heat sunflower oil in a large frying pan.
5. Fry the eggplant slices for a few seconds on each side until lightly golden. Work in batches.
6. Drain on kitchen paper to remove excess oil.

Important: Once you’ve dusted a batch of eggplant in flour, fry them straight away. If they sit too long the eggplant will soak up the flour and turn mushy.

4. Assemble the parmigiana

1. Preheat oven to 180°C / 350°F / gas mark 4.
2. Use an 11x8 inch oval dish or a rectangle/square dish of similar size (e.g. 10x8 inch).
3. Spoon a small amount of tomato sauce into the bottom of the baking dish and spread it around — this stops the eggplant from sticking.
4. Add one layer of eggplant slices over the sauce.
5. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese, scatter cubes of mozzarella, add a sprinkling of pepper, and spoon over a couple of spoonfuls of tomato sauce (save about 1/3 of the sauce for the final layer).
6. Repeat the layers: eggplant → parmesan → mozzarella → pepper → sauce.
7. Continue until you have one top layer of eggplant left.

5. Top layer and bake

1. For the top layer, spoon over the remaining tomato sauce.
2. Top generously with the remaining parmesan and mozzarella.
3. Cover loosely with foil.
4. Bake for 20 minutes covered.
5. Remove the foil and bake for another 20 minutes until golden and bubbling on top.
6. Let it rest for 5 minutes before serving.

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Tips

• Always salt the eggplant — this is the key step to prevent a watery, soggy result.
• No breadcrumbs needed — traditional parmigiana di melanzane uses only flour for dusting, not breadcrumbs.
• Eggplant thickness — aim for about 1/4 inch (1/2 cm). Don’t cut too thin or the eggplant will fall apart when frying.
• Use high quality tomatoes — the passata quality makes a big difference. Low-quality tomatoes can ruin the whole dish. Cirio or Mutti brands are recommended.
• Dredge then fry immediately — don’t let the floured eggplant sit around or it absorbs the flour and gets mushy.
• Prepping in advance — you can assemble the whole dish ahead of time and store it in the fridge until ready to bake.
• Leftovers — keep in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat in the oven (covered) until piping hot all the way through. Also delicious cold with a side salad.

Freezing

• You can freeze the assembled parmigiana before or after baking.
• For convenience, use a disposable aluminum foil tray so you can bake straight from frozen at 180°C/350°F for about 1 hour or until piping hot all the way through.
• If freezing in a regular baking/casserole dish, you must let it thaw completely before baking.

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Lighter Variation

• Grill instead of fry — skip the flour and frying. Brush eggplant slices with olive oil and grill on both sides until tender. Still delicious and significantly lighter.
• Smoked scamorza — replace the mozzarella with smoked scamorza or smoked mozzarella for an incredible smoky flavor throughout the dish.

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Result

Layers of golden fried eggplant, melted mozzarella, and rich tomato sauce with fresh basil and parmesan, all baked together into a bubbling, golden-topped Italian classic. Pure comfort food.