Eggplant Parmigiana
Eggplant Parmigiana (aka parmigiana di melanzane) is a classic Italian dish combining layers of fried eggplants, tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella then baked until golden and bubbly.
Servings: 6 servings
Equipment
- 1 9x13 baking dish or similar in size
- 1 cooling rack
Ingredients
- 1½-2 eggplants (depending on their size) sliced lengthwise, ¼-½ inch thick
- 3/4 cup vegetable oil to fry the eggplants, see notes below
- 2½ cups homemade or store-bought tomato sauce
- 2 tbsp Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
- 1 fresh mozzarella (200 grams) sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
- ¾ cup shredded mozzarella for the top
- 3 tbsp pecorino romano finely grated
- 1 hardboiled egg chopped fine
- 2 tbsp fresh basil roughly chopped
Flour Mixture:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
- Prepare the eggplants: slice horizontally into ¼-½ inch slices and lay flat on a baking sheet. Lightly season both sides with salt and allow to rest for at least 30 minutes. Preferable an hour. Then, using paper towel, blot to remove any excess moisture.
- Prepare the egg: to a small pot, add the egg, and cover with cold water. Bring to a rumbling boil and then turn off the heat. Cover and allow to sit for 11-13 minutes. Transfer the egg to an ice bath for a few minutes. Crack, peel, chop and set aside until ready to use.
- Prepare the flour mixture: to a large plate, mix together the flour and salt. Next, dredge the eggplants in the flour mixture, pressing to coat on both sides, shaking off any excess flour.
- Fry: to a large, deep frying pan add the cooking oil and set to medium/high heat. Fry the eggplants on each side for 2-3 minutes or until they've turned a light golden colour. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.*Preheat the oven to 375 °F.
- Assemble: to a 9x13 baking dish (or similar in size) add 1/2 a cup of tomato sauce, followed by a layer of sliced eggplants, ensuring there are no gaps. Add another layer of sauce (about 1 cup), followed by half of the pecorino romano, half of the chopped hard boiled egg, half of the fresh mozzarella, half of the basil, and half of the seasoned breadcrumbs. *Save the shredded mozzarella for just the top layer.Repeat with the second layer of remaining ingredients: eggplants, sauce, pecorino romano, hard boiled eggs, fresh mozzarella pieces, fresh basil, toasted breadcrumbs and now the top layer of shredded mozzarella.
- Bake: uncovered for 30-35 minutes or until slightly golden and bubbling.Sammy's tip: broil for the last 1-2 minutes.
- Rest: allow the eggplant parmigiana to rest for at least 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
Video
Notes
Frying tips:
- The general rule is you want to use oils that have a high smoke point. For instance: peanut oil, canola oil, vegetable oil, or grapeseed oil will all work to fry the eggplants.
- You want enough oil that the eggplants are almost entirely submerged.
- Save the frying oil: allow the oil to cool completely, use a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth and strain into a glass jar to remove bits of food then store in a cool dark place.
Nutrition
Calories: 394kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 16g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 45mg | Sodium: 367mg | Potassium: 55mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 190IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 112mg | Iron: 1mg
