Eggplant (Aubergines) Parmigiana di Melanzane on the top of a hill in Tuscany

Eggplant (Aubergines) Parmigiana di melanzane!

You can call this dish as you prefer: it’ll be one of the most delicious dishes you’re going to taste!

Here’s a one-day Cooking Class by CuocheinVacanza spent between Tuscan hills in a fabulous Bed&Breakfast hold by some faboulus English People.

Breathtaking view over green and sunny fields, olive trees, and all you need to live in peace with the world and Nature.

By popular demand, I’m posting here an old recipe about Eggplant (Aubergines) Parmigiana di Melanzane.

: parmigiana aubergines

August is the most suitable month to make this dish here in Tuscany. So many people ask me to show this recipe…and so it’s done this incredible and tasty, evergreen delight.

This recipe was a success also with regard to one of my virtual cooking classes of which I am putting the video below. The written recipe is instead at the end of this post.

Know that you can make this dish also as a single portion. It will be very elegant and you will make a good impression with your friends. The only care, in this case, is to use a mozzarella that is not fresh.

In fact, during my online cooking classes, I could see that if you use fresh mozzarella, the eggplants slices tend to relax, to expand in the oven. Therefore the elegant scenographic effect of the Aubergine Tower is lost. This does not happen with the low moisture mozzarella.

Eggplant (Aubergines) Parmigiana di Melanzane

Recipe by Erika Elia (CuocheinVacanza.com)

Prep time: 40 minutes + (30 minutes to rest)
Cook time: 30 minutes
Total time: 1h,40 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients

1 pound, 500 gr caciocavallo cheese (or 5 mozzarelle)
3 large eggplants
1 bottle peanut oil (or corn oil, sunflower oil)
5 oz; (10 tbsp; 150 gr) grated parmesan cheese
1 tbsp; 20 gr fine salt
3 cups, 75 cl Tomato Sauce

Instructions

The Tomato Sauce for Parmigiana

2 cloves garlic
1 medium onion, chopped
to taste olive oil
1 bottle (75cl) tomato puree (passata). I use this one
to taste salt and pepper
5 basil leaves

Cooking Directions

To prepare the tomato sauce for Eggplant (Aubergines) Parmigiana di Melanzane add the garlic and the onion in a saucepan, with 4 tablespoons of olive oil. Fry for a few minutes, then add tomato sauce and simmer to the thickening of the sauce and, lastly, add the salt and the basil leaves (cut them with your fingers); then taste, turn off the heat and it’s done!

To prepare the Eggplant (Aubergines) Parmigiana di Melanzane: wash and cut the eggplants into slices about 1/4 inch (0,5 cm).

Prepare a pan with the oil (about 1/2 a bottle), fry the eggplants until they are golden on both sides, and let them dry on a paper.

Anoint a baking tray, sprinkle the bottom with a little of the tomato sauce, and start to have the first layer of eggplant to be placed side by side without overlapping.

Pour a little sauce on the eggplant, spreading it uniformly, and sprinkle with a little Parmigiano Reggiano.

Slice the caciocavallo (or mozzarella) cheese and deal a few slices of it on the sauce leaving a little space from one another. Now prepare the second layer, placing the aubergines in the opposite direction to the previous one (if at first, you have arranged vertically, now arrange them horizontally) and continue covering them with sauce, Parmesan cheese, and finally with slices of cheese, until all the ingredients.

Remember that the last layer must be of only tomato and grated Parmesan cheese.

Place the aubergines in the oven at 180 °C (375 °F) for 30 minutes until they present the characteristic golden “crust”.

You can serve your eggplant parmigiana hot, just pulled out of the oven, or at room temperature … it’s good anyway, even cold!

Suggestion: you can grill the eggplants (instead of frying). This Eggplant Parmigiana will be not the original one. Anyway, it will be very tasty and “lighter”.

Comments

kirtinag says

4 September 2013 at 8:00

Awesome recipes!! I like all Eggplant recipes but my favorite eggplant recipe is Grilled Aubergine Eggplant.

Erika Elia says

4 September 2013 at 14:55

I'm so glad you like these recipes! During the Summer I work hard and so is difficult for me to write recipes…I prefer writing my experiences. But now is starting the Autumn and you'll see I'll introduce you many successfull recipes. I love grilled Aubergines too, but this is the original (from Sicily) one. I have a very nice recipes with Aubergines…as soon as I write it I'll tell to you.
Many thanks and take care! K

Norma Cicsle says

28 November 2020 at 17:00

Dear Erika. What a delight to find your website on Facebook this morning. I thoroughly enjoyed reading your recipes and as much as I love to cook and read all things about..la cucina..I always learn something new and helpful. How I wish that I could experience your expertis
e in Tuscany but since it is not possible..zI shall look for..everything that you write. Mille grazia e Buona fortuna

- Erika Elia says
  
  28 November 2020 at 17:16
  
  Norma cara! You can’t imagine how much your words give me the force to go ahead with my projects. I love cooking and teaching. Ask me everything you want through the blog but also through Facebook, as you prefer! Hope to meet you soon in Tuscany, keep in touch! Erika