Melanzane alla Parmigiana

Melanzane alla Parmigiana

One of our very favorite dishes we've "discovered" while living here in Tuscany, and for sure one of the favorites of our visitors is the Melanzane alla Parmigiana or Aubergine (aka Eggplant) Parmigiana. It is a relatively simple dish to prepare, and takes about a good 90 minutes to make (including baking time). It's 90 minutes well invested. Hope you try it out and enjoy! .

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Young Aubergine plant in our garden

Aubergine almost ready

WHAT YOU NEED

INGREDIENTS:

6-8 portions. Cooking time 30 min, Baking time 1h

• 100 gr of Breadcrumbs (make them by putting hard bread in your mixer)

• 100 gr of Parmesan in crumbs (make it into crumbs using your mixer)

• 2 garlic pieces (pressed or finely chopped)

• 80 gr onion finely chopped

• 20 gr of Extra Virgen Olive Oil (EVOO)

• 1 kg of fresh tomatoes (700 gr to make into a sauce, 300 gr in thin 5mm slices)

• 100 gr or tomatoe paste (concentrate puree)

• 1 Teaspoon of salt

• ½ a Teaspoon of pepper

• ¼ a Teaspoon of chili powder

• 1 Tablespoon of honey or brown sugar

• 1 Tablespoon of fresh oregano or ½ a Tablespoon of dry oregano

• 1 kg of Aubergine (a.k.a. Eggplant), cut into slices of about 8mm

• 300 gr of pizza mozzarella in slices or grated

• 30 gr of fresh basil, finely chopped5.

Aubergine sliced

Aubergine baked

Onion finely shopped

Tomatoe and mozzarella sliced

COOKING:

• Preheat the oven at 180 degrees Celsius. Place the Aubergine slices in one to two baking trays, spray of sprinkle with EVOO and chili powder. Bake for 45 minutes.
  

• In the meantime, in a cooking pot at medium heat, add a table spoon of EVOO,  and throw in the garlic and the onion. Remember that olive oil should be cooked in low heat. Stir until onion is almost translucid. Turn off and set aside.
  

• In a mixer, add the 700gr of tomatoes chopped in quarters (remove the “nose” where the stem was), the tomatoe paste, the salt and pepper, the honey or sugar, the oregano and onion and garlic (we are leaving the fresh basil to be added after a first cooking time). Mix. In the pan, add the rest of the EVOO, and on middle heat cook the mixture for good 20 min stirring every 5 minutes or so. The sauce should look bright red and have a deep taste. Remove from the stove and add the fresh basil.

• By now the Aubergine should have come out of the over. Raise the oven temperature to 200 degrees Celsius.
  

• In a baking 10cm deep ceramic tray or metal form (ideally rectangular), add 3-4 tablespoons of tomatoe sauce and spread it throughout the bottom. This will keep the aubergine from sticking. Place a layer of aubergine in the tray, then a layer of tomatoes, spread 1/3 or the tomatoe sauce, sprinkle a layer of 1/3 of breadcrumbs and 1/3 of the mozzarella cheese on top. Repeat the layering 3 times. On top of the last layer, sprinkle the parmesan cheese.  
  

• Now place the tray in the oven (middle) at 200 degrees for 15 minutes.   

• READY! Serve hot but do warn everyone eating that it’s very hot inside.

  
  

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Ready and sliced

When serving you can see the layers

NOW ENJOY!

SOURCES AND REFERENCES:

Some images from Unsplash.com

Some from our visitors who kindly shared