Baked Eggplant with Melted Cheese — Parmigiana di Melanzane Napoletana
The Neapolitan parmigiana of fried aubergine slices layered with tomato and basil sauce, fior di latte mozzarella, and grated parmigiano, baked until the cheese turns golden and the layers fuse into a rich southern Italian classic.
Italian
Categories
Nutrition per Serving
Ingredients
For 2 servings
Instructions
Prep
Salt 700g aubergine rounds with 2 tsp salt in a colander, rest 15 minutes to draw out bitter juices. Pat completely dry on kitchen paper. Finely chop 120g onion, slice 4 garlic cloves. Measure 600g passata, tear 240g mozzarella, grate 60g parmigiano, and gather 16 basil leaves for sauce plus 8 for finishing.
Saute
Heat 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil in a wide pan over medium heat 1 minute. Add onion, cook 5 minutes until soft. Add garlic, cook 60 seconds until fragrant. Pour in passata, 0.5 tsp salt, pinch sugar, and 8 basil leaves. Simmer 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens. Tear remaining 8 basil leaves through off heat.
Fry
Dust dried aubergine slices in 120g flour, shake off excess. Heat 400ml light olive oil in a wide deep pan over medium-high heat 2 minutes until shimmering. Fry aubergine in batches, 90 seconds per side, until deep golden. Lift onto kitchen paper to drain.
Build 1
Preheat oven to 200C. Spoon 1/4 cup tomato sauce into two 14cm x 14cm baking dishes (or one 20cm x 20cm dish). Layer fried aubergine, one-third remaining sauce, one-third mozzarella, one-quarter parmigiano in each dish. Repeat this three-layer sequence twice.
Build 2
Top the final layer with remaining sauce, mozzarella, parmigiano, and torn basil leaves distributed evenly across the surface.
Bake
Place baking dish(es) in preheated 200C oven for 25 minutes until cheese is deeply golden and bubbling and parmigiana is set when gently shaken. Rest in dish 5 minutes so layers settle.
Rest and plate
Turn the parmigiana onto serving plates. Drizzle with 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil per serving. Serve immediately while the layers are still warm.
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