Parmigiana di Melanzane
Campania · secondo · serves 6 · 120 min total · medium
Disputed origin — Sicily, Campania, and Emilia all claim it. Campania makes it without eggs or breadcrumbs, the way it deserves.
Ingredients
- 1500 g aubergines
- 700 g tomato passata
- 400 g fior di latte mozzarella
- 150 g Parmigiano Reggiano, grated
- 1 handful basil
- 2 cloves garlic
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1 L sunflower oil for frying
- 100 g flour for dusting
- 2 tbsp salt
Method
- Slice aubergines 6 mm thick. Salt heavily, layer in a colander, weight for 45 minutes. Rinse, squeeze, dry.
- Make sauce: warm olive oil and crushed garlic, add passata, simmer 25 minutes with torn basil. Adjust salt.
- Dredge aubergine slices lightly in flour. Fry in hot sunflower oil until gold on both sides. Drain on paper.
- Layer in a deep dish: sauce, aubergine slices overlapping, sauce, torn mozzarella, parmigiano, basil. Repeat 3 times.
- Finish with sauce and a thick layer of parmigiano.
- Bake at 180°C (355°F) for 45 minutes until bubbling and bronzed on top.
- Rest 20 minutes before slicing. It is better an hour later. It is best the next day.