This classic Northern Italian recipe is a great way to serve eggplant. Since the purple vegetable is still in season, this recipe is the perfect way to prepare the delicious egg fruit. By layering them with parmesan and tomatoes and then baking them in the oven, you get an absolutely flavorful, delicious vegetable dish. Try the original recipe for Parmigiana di Melanzane - it goes perfectly with all types of fried meat and also fried fish.
Where does the dish come from?
The Parmigiana di Melanzane (usually just called Parmigiana) is more unknown than the Pizza Margarita or the Pasta Carbonara, but is one of the typical specialties of Italian gastronomy that is more than just worth a detour. Thistraditional dish, which consists of eggplant, mozzarella, tomato sauce and parmesan, is a delicious mix of typical Italian ingredients. While the name Parmigiana suggests a possible origin from Parma, she is (also) of Sicilian and Neapolitan descent, without any real ancestry being clearly proven. The main thing is that the dish tastes great and is perfect as a side dish or as a vegetarian main course.
Do you fancy a delicious vegetable casserole for dinner? With our recipe you can make the Italian oneEasy to make eggplant casserole yourselfPrepare and treat your family or guests to a delicious dish. Follow the recipe and enjoy!
Ingredients for 2 servings:
For the tomato sauce:
- 2 onions
- 500 g peeled tomatoes, diced (fresh or canned)
- 1 bunch of basil
- olive oil
- Salt
For the Parmigiana:
- 3 purple eggplants
- 100 g wheat flour type 550
- 2 liters of sunflower oil
- 50g grated Parmigiano Reggiano
- 100 g Mozzarella
- 1 bunch of basil
- Salt
Preparing the eggplant casserole
- For the tomato sauce:Peel the onions and cut into fine strips. In a saucepan over high heat, heat a drizzle of olive oil, add the onions and cook until lightly browned. Add the peeled tomatoes and basil and cook over low heat for about 40 minutes, stirring regularly.
- For the casserole:Wash the aubergines and cut into slices approx. 1 cm thick.
- Add sunflower oil to a large pot and heat over medium heat (or turn on a deep fryer to 180°C).
- Cut the mozzarella into strips.
- Dust the eggplant slices with flour and fry until they have a nice golden brown color. (Alternatively, you can fry the eggplants in a pan with 3-4 tablespoons of oil, grill them or bake them in the oven.)
- Place the fried eggplants on paper towels to absorb excess oil, then set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C.
- Put 5 tablespoons of tomato sauce in a small baking dish, place a first layer of aubergines on top, cover with tomato sauce, add a few mozzarella strips on top and sprinkle with Parmesan.
- Repeat the process until you layer all the eggplants. Finish with cheese.
- Place the casserole in the oven at 180°C for an hour (the mozzarella and parmesan must be well baked when you take the dish out of the oven).
- Serve the finished Parmigiana di Melanzane with a few basil leaves. The dish is now ready to eat!
Tipp:For a larger casserole, double the ingredient quantities in the recipe.
Would you like a whole one?Prepare Italian menu, then of course a suitable dessert should not be missing. And because a piece of cake is always possible, we offer you a simple yet delicious oneRecipe for the Italian Torta della Nonna. The “Grandma’s Cake” tastes wonderful and will round off your Italian menu perfectly.
