Serves:
About the Recipe
Parmigiana di Melanzane is definitely one of my absolute favorite comfort dishes! Like most baked, pasta-style recipes, there are a few stages of preparation, but it’s all straightforward and well worth the effort. Large globe eggplant skins contain fiber and antioxidants, but their thick skin can become tough, chewy, and bitter during cooking. I prefer to remove most of the skin with a vegetable peeler when using globe eggplant. Baby eggplant (also known as Japanese), on the other hand, has thin, tender skin that cooks down nicely and adds pleasant texture. In America it is common to prepare eggplant with egg, flour, and breadcrumbs for a crunchier, heavier texture, unlike in southern Italy and Sicily where eggplant slices are either fried plain in olive oil, lightly dusted with flour, or dipped in a simple egg batter before cooking. Our family’s is a healthier version where the eggplant slices are brushed with olive oil and baked in the oven on a baking sheet. You can always fry the slices if you like.
Ingredients
3 large eggplant, peeled, sliced into ¼” slices
3 Tbsp. kosher salt, divided
½ cup olive oil
3 cups My Mamma's Simple Tomato Sauce or marinara sauce
¼ cup basil, torn into pieces
½ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated
1 ½ cups, 8 oz. mozzarella cheese, grated
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
Preparation
Peel some of the skin off the eggplant if desired. Cut into ¼” slices. Place eggplant slices in a colander and salt generously. Let them sit and drain for 30 minutes, then rinse off the remaining salt and dry the eggplant well with paper towels.
Brush the eggplant slices lightly with olive oil and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Bake at 400° F for 30 minutes or until lightly browned, or grill on a grill pan until lightly brown and tender on each side. Remove and blot eggplants of excess oil with paper towels if needed.
Place a thick layer of marinara sauce in the bottom of a 9”x13” baking dish. Add a layer of eggplant on top of the sauce, torn basil leaves, shredded mozzarella and grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and a sprinkle of black pepper.
Repeat layers to fill the baking dish, about three layers. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella and Parmigiano on top.
Bake at 375° F for about 35-45 minutes.
Remove from the oven and let rest for 15-20 minutes before serving.
Great made ahead of time and or frozen in an airtight container for up to a month.