Eggplant Parmigiana, an iconic Italian classic, feels luxurious and indulgent despite its simplicity: layers of fried eggplants that are covered in generous amounts of parmesan cheese, toasted breadcrumbs, fresh basil, and tomato sauce. The result is the ultimate comfort food.
There’s nothing like some Mediterranean magic to beat the winter blues, or in this case, those gloomy days between winter and spring when the weather is unpredictable and indecisive like a moody adolescent. It turns out, if you layer fried eggplant slices with copious amounts of cheese and tomato sauce, your day is instantly improved. So is your mood. So is the weather. So is any moody teenager. Perhaps classic Italian food is the answer to all our daily problems.
A classic Italian comfort food
Parmigiana di melanzane, aka Eggplant Parmigiana, is Italian for comfort food. It looks like lasagna, but it’s not quite and the difference lies in the ingredients. I’ve made eggplant lasagna recipes before where I roasted the eggplant and layered them with the usual suspects: a healthy mix of ricotta and spinach, tomato sauce and no breadcrumbs in sight (a dream recipe for celiacs and low-carb dieters).
For an eggplant parmigiana you’ll need breadcrumbs and lots of olive oil. We’ll get to that in a second. For now, suffice to say that if I was ever forced to pick between the two, I’d have to go with the latter. In an eggplant parmigiana, the layers beautifully meld together when baked and the flavors deepen in a way I haven’t been able to replicate in lasagna form. The means are so similar, but the ends are actually vastly different when it comes to these two classics.
Ingredients & Instructions
This recipe is adapted from this wonderful Chef Ben Tish’s version. It’s a simple recipe but everything is made from scratch, so the result is a glorious dish. Let’s go over the ingredients briefly.
Eggplants
Traditionally, when frying eggplant slices for a parmigiana, the purging method is followed: the slices are salted ahead of time, allowing any possible bitter juices to drain away. Then, the slices are patted dried and dredged in flour before frying.
For this recipe, there’s no purging or dredging. The eggplant slices go straight into a skillet and are fried until golden brown. You’re going to need a lot of oil for this – the little things love soaking up all the oil they can get – so be prepared.
Salting the eggplant beforehand – about 30 minutes – has its advantages: they tend to soak up less oil (although the difference is not that significant) and it improves the taste they retain after frying. I personally don’t find the end result is vastly altered by this to justify the extra step, but feel free to do it.
I like cutting the eggplants into rather thin slices (about half an inch). That way they are thick enough to have some structure while absorbing all that tomato sauce and melding with the other layers when baked.
Sauce
We’re using canned tomatoes for the sauce. This is a very simple sauce and canned tomatoes are really a great choice here because fresh tomatoes this time of year are out of season and the ones available are not exactly cheap – and you’re going to need a lot of it.
I like starting with the sauce and let it simmer gently while I prepare everything else. You want it to reduce by almost half, but make sure you end up with a good amount in the end. I like my parmigiana on the saucy side, so I advise being generous with it.
Breading
Breading eggplant slices before frying is a lot of work (and a lot of extra dishes!), so none of that happens here. Once the eggplant slices are nice and fried, use the same skillet to toast the breadcrumbs.
You can add some minced garlic, red pepper flakes, and chopped herbs to the breadcrumbs for extra flavor, but it’s optional. I often just toast them in olive oil and a little bit of salt. This little step is quick and makes a big difference in the end result in terms of flavor and texture.
Cheese
When it comes to the cheese, I believe it’s important to measure with your heart. I like using parmesan and mozzarella cheese. The mozzarella melts beautifully and really works with all the other flavors.
You can use fresh mozzarella and even burrata for a more luxurious dish, but I find good old mozzarella to be just perfect here.
Assemble
After all the frying and simmering is done, it’s all a matter of putting it together. Start with layering the bottom of a baking dish with the eggplant slices followed by the breadcrumbs, tomato sauce, basil leaves and the cheese. Repeat until you have used up all the eggplant and finish with a layer of sauce and cheese.
Then bake until bubbling and browned and you’re done!
If you make this eggplant parmigiana, please let me know in the comments! I’d love to hear from you and about your favorite comfort food!
Eggplant Parmigiana
4-6
servings15
minutes20
minutes40
minutesIngredients
olive oil, for cooking and drizzling
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 28oz cans plum tomatoes
pinch of sugar
3 large eggplants
1 cup breadcrumbs
125g parmesan, grated
200g mozzarela, grated
1 bunch basil
sea salt and black pepper
Directions
Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat and add the garlic. Cook for a minute, until fragrant, then add the tomatoes (if using whole tomatoes, crush them by hand into a bowl before adding to pan). Bring to a boil then turn down the heat to medium low. Season with salt and add a pinch of sugar. Simmer gently for about 45 minutes or until significantly reduced, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, trim the eggplants and cut them lengthwise into 1/2-inch slices. Heat a heavy-based
large frying pan over medium heat and pour in some olive oil. When hot, gently fry the eggplant slices in batches until they are all tender and golden brown. You will need to add extra oil as you go as the eggplants soak it up quite quickly. When the slices are fried, season well and drain on kitchen paper to absorb the excess oil.
Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C.
Once the eggplant slices are fried, add a little bit of olive oil to the same pan. Add breadcrumbs and toast until golden brown, stirring consistently. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Once the tomato sauce has reduced by almost half, you’re ready to assemble the parmigiana. Lightly grease a baking dish with olive oil and spread a thin layer of tomato sauce. Add a layer of eggplant slices and sprinkle with breadcrumbs followed by a ladle of tomato sauce, and a few basil leaves, mozzarella cheese and parmesan. Repeat the layers until you have used up all the eggplant and finish with a layer of sauce followed by the cheeses.
Transfer to the oven and cook for 40 minutes until the parmigiana is bubbling and golden brown. Leave to rest for 20 minutes once cooked. Sprinkle with basil leaves and serve.
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