Eggplant, or aubergine as it is called in the UK, is a widely used ingredient in Italian cuisine. One of the most popular vegetarian Italian dishes is eggplant parmigiana, which is a classic southern Italian dish. It is sliced aubergines layered with a tomato-based sauce, mozzarella, and Parmesan cheese. Sometimes it is eaten as an accompaniment to meat or fish, but it is equally delicious when you serve it as a stand-alone dish.
There are many variations of eggplant parmigiana recipes. Many Italian families have a recipe that they pass from one generation to the next. Celebrity chefs such as Gino d’Acampo, Gordon Ramsay, and Jamie Oliver also offer versions of the recipe. Although each recipe differs, the final result is a soft dish that has sharpness and sweetness from the tomatoes and a rich and creamy flavour from the addition of the two cheeses. When I made this recently, I enjoyed the dish so much that I had three helpings all to myself.
It is an exceptionally easy dish to make, so it is suitable for people of all culinary abilities. Eggplant parmigiana is also a budget-friendly option, so it is ideal for making a cheap, midweek meal for all the family to enjoy. Here is The Fruity Tart’s recipe for eggplant parmigiana.
Eggplant Parmigiana: Easy Aubergine Recipe
Course: International Recipes, Recipes, Vegetarian and Vegan RecipesCuisine: ItalianDifficulty: Easy6
servings15
minutes40
minutesNO
YES
YES
NO
A simple recipe for eggplant Parmigiana (aubergine bake), a classic Italian dish suitable for vegetarians and those on gluten-free diets.
Ingredients for Eggplant Parmigiana
3 aubergines (eggplants)
2 tins of chopped tomatoes
4 balls of mozzarella, sliced or chopped
70g/ 2.5 oz of freshly grated Parmesan cheese
5 cloves of garlic, minced or finely chopped
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp sugar
Salt and black pepper to taste
Directions: How to Make Eggplant Parmigiana
- Preheat the oven to 180C/ 350F/ gas mark 4.
- Slice the aubergines to approximately 0.5 cm thickness. I slice them lengthways, but you can slice the eggplants into discs if you prefer.
- Lay the slices of aubergine over some kitchen paper, then sprinkle with salt to release some of the water from the aubergine. Doing so will prevent the aubergines from becoming mushy and creating a watery sauce.
- You should see beads of water forming on the surface of the aubergine flesh. When this happens, rinse the aubergines with cold water, then pat dry with kitchen paper.
- While the aubergines are going through the water extraction process, you can start making your sauce.
- Put the oil into a pan over medium heat on the stove, add the chopped garlic, and cook for two minutes.
- Add the chopped tomatoes, oregano, and basil. You can also add sugar at this stage. The sugar prevents the sauce from having a bitter, acidic taste but does not make the sauce too sweet.
- Season the sauce with salt and pepper and cook for 15 minutes. When the sauce is cooked, mash it with a potato masher or blend it with a hand blender to create a thick sauce.
- While the sauce is cooking, heat a griddle pan or frying pan over medium-high heat on the hob.
- Cook a couple of slices of aubergine at a time for 2-3 minutes on each side until there are some golden marks on the flesh. Part-cooking the aubergine before baking will make sure the aubergine is cooked all the way through and doesn’t have the undercooked texture of cotton wool. It also forms a light seal on the plant’s surface so that the aubergine does not absorb too much water from the sauce.
- Ladle some sauce into a large, ovenproof dish until the base is thinly coated, as this will prevent the aubergines from sticking to the bottom.
- Create a layer of aubergine slices, then spoon over some sauce until the aubergines are completely covered.
- Next, create a cheese layer with approximately half of the mozzarella and Parmesan.
- Add another layer of aubergines, then pour over the remaining sauce.
- Top the dish with the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan.
- Cover the dish with kitchen foil, then put in the preheated oven to bake for 20 minutes.
- Open the oven and remove the foil from the dish before cooking for another 20 minutes until the top of the eggplant parmigiana has turned golden brown from the combination of tomato sauce and cheese.
Additional Tips
- Experiment with other cheeses if you cannot get Parmesan or mozzarella. Ideally, you need one that is soft, creamy, and stringy and another that is hard with a stronger flavour.
- Increase or decrease the amount of herbs used in the sauce for the eggplant parmigiana to suit your tastes.
