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Traditional Eggplant Parmigiana (Parmigiana di Melanzane)

A traditional Italian dish that alternates layers of fried eggplants, velvety tomato sauce and melting mozzarella cheese. A great vegetarian dish to try!
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Prep Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Diet: Vegetarian
Keyword: Eggplant, Eggplant Casserole, Eggplant Parmesan, Eggplant Parmigiana, Parmigiana di Melanzane, Sicilian Dish, Tomato Sauce
Difficulty: Moderate
Servings: 9 servings
Calories: 423kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

For the Tomato Sauce

  • 1.5 can tomato sauce Mutti (see notes)
  • 2 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
  • 1 small onion finely chopped
  • 3 sprig basil
  • 2 cloves garlic whole
  • 1 tsp sugar (see notes)

For the eggplant

  • 1.2 lb eggplant sliced vertically
  • 33 fl oz olive oil extra virgin
  • 2 tbsp rock salt
  • ½ cup flour all-purpose

For the cheese

  • ⅔ pound mozzarella cut in small cubes
  • 4 oz parmesan cheese grated
  • 2 tbsp basil
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Start by cutting the eggplant in slices of 1/4 inch thickness. Place them in a colander and cover each slice with rock salt. Let them drain for 30 minutes. Remove the rock salt and pat the eggplants dry.
  • In the meantime, put some olive oil and the garlic in a pot, add 2 cans of canned tomatoes and the basil. Let it simmer for 15 minutes (see notes).
  • Coat each slice of eggplant in a bit of flour, removing the excess. The layer has to be very thin.
  • Heat some EVOO oil in a frying pan and fry the eggplants until golden brown. Let them rest over some paper towels, changing it a few times to absorb more oil (see notes). Let them rest a few hours or over night, to drain out as much oil as possible. Sprinkle them with a bit of fine sea salt, just before layering your eggplant parmigiana.
  • Assemble the ingredients in a baking dish (9"x 9" inches) and start putting a bit of tomato sauce as a base. Make a layer the eggplants, then add the tomato sauce, the mozzarella. Sprinkle with the parmesan cheese and the basil. Continue until you finish the ingredients. Sprinkle more Parmesan and basil on the last layer.
  • Bake it at 375 F° (190° C) for around 45 minutes. Let it set overnight in the refrigerator.
  • The day after, reheat the Eppgplant Parm in the oven for 35 minutes at 395° F ( 200 °C) and enjoy it!

Notes

  • In case you want to make your own sauce, use Roma or Plum variety as they have pulpy meat, resulting in a sauce that is compact and not watery. 
  • If you use a ready-made sauce, make sure to buy a high quality one  ( I suggest MUTTI) and add a bit of sugar, as it will balance the acidity that tomatoes naturally have.
  • Make sure you drain off the oil from the fried eggplants, letting them rest several hours is best to ensure your eggplants are less oily.
  • The Eggplant Parmesan is best served the day after you baked it, so that all the flavors are melting together.
  • You can freeze it up to 6 weeks. To enjoy it, thaw it at room temperature and warm it in the oven at 395 F° (200° C) for 20 minutes.

Nutrition

Calories: 423kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 34g | Sodium: 2334mg | Potassium: 562mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 672IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 262mg | Iron: 2mg
Have you tried to make it?Mention @Italian_Kitchen_Confessions or tag #Italian_Kitchen_Confessions!