Eggplant Parmigiana (Melanzane alla Parmigiana) is one of Italy’s greatest comfort foods.
Layers of fried eggplant, homemade tomato sauce, mozzarella and Parmigiano Reggiano slowly baked until everything melts together into one of the country’s most beloved dishes.
Simple ingredients.
Patient cooking.
Pure Italian happiness.
EVERY FAMILY HAS ITS OWN PARMIGIANA
Ask ten Italian nonnas how to make Parmigiana and you’ll probably get ten different recipes.
Some flour or coat the eggplant in beaten egg before frying.
Some add slices of prosciutto cotto or mortadella.
Some use provola instead of mozzarella.
Some peel the eggplants, while others—my family included—leave the skin on for its slightly bitter note.
Today, many people even grill the eggplants instead of frying them for a lighter version.
None of these variations is “wrong.”
They’re simply the way one family has always made Parmigiana.
This is mine: the classic version I grew up with—fried eggplants, homemade tomato sauce, mozzarella and plenty of Parmigiano Reggiano.
authentic eggplant parmesan recipe
Ingredients
for the frying
- 1/4 cup of olive oil
- 2-3 medium eggplant
- salt
for the sauce
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 17.6 oz tomato passata 500 gr
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 pinch of salt
- 5-6 basil leaves
plus
- 2 tablespoons of parmigiano reggiano (parmesan cheese) 25 gr
- ½ mozzarella fior di latte
Instructions
how to make melanzane alla parmigiana
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Slice the eggplant (1 cm/0.5 inch tall). Sprinkle them with salt and place them in a colander for about 15 minutes.
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Slice the mozzarella and set it, to eliminate the extra liquids, in another colander or sieve.
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Grate the Parmesan cheese.
frying
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Heat the olive oil in a large skillet and fry the eggplant slices, a couple of minutes on both sides, (or until golden brown).
grilling option
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Grill the eggplant slices on a hot grilling pan, brushed with a teaspoon of olive oil.
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Grill 6-8 minutes per side until well done.
sauce
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Heat the olive oil in a medium/large skillet. Peel and crush the garlic cloves and brown them in the olive oil.
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Remove the garlic and add the passata. Cook over medium/low heat for 20 minutes. Add a pinch of salt and mix.
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Turn the heat off and add the basil leaves. Mix and let rest.
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Preheat oven to 200°C (390°F).
assembling
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Time to assemble: you can opt for a medium-size baking sheet/casserole, or cute single serving oven pots.
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Anyway, what you have to do to assemble the dish is the following:
Spread the bottom of the casserole with a thin layer of the tomato sauce and add a layer of eggplant slices.
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Cover with a layer of sauce, a layer of mozzarella, and another of parmesan cheese.
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Add another layer of eggplant. You might want to place some vertically and some horizontally, or just enough slices to cover the surface.
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Cover with tomato sauce, add a layer of mozzarella and another of parmesan.
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Finally, add a last layer of eggplant, cover it with sauce and finally, sprinkle it with parmesan.
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Summarizing: sauce + eggplant + sauce + mozzarella + parmesan + eggplant + sauce + mozzarella + parmesan + eggplant + sauce + parmesan.
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Bake the single or multiple casseroles 40 minutes (you should get a light crust on top).
WHY IT TASTES SO GOOD
Parmigiana isn’t about a secret ingredient.
It’s about contrast.
The crispness of the fried eggplant.
The sweetness of slow-cooked tomato sauce.
The creamy mozzarella.
The savory depth of Parmigiano.
As the layers bake together, they slowly lose their individuality and become something entirely new.
That’s the real magic of Parmigiana.
Enjoy your melanzane alla parmigiana recipe!
Claudia