Parmigiana di Melanzane | Genuine Italian Eggplant Parm Recipe

This dish goes by a couple of totally different names exterior of Italy: eggplant parm, eggplant parmesan, eggplant parmigiana… In Italy, it’s recognized by just one: Parmigiana di Melanzane. It’s an extremely scrumptious baked dish, with layers of fried eggplant slices, cheese, tomato sauce, and basil.

Parmigiana di Melanzane | Genuine Italian Eggplant Parm Recipe

The place is Parmigiana di Melanzane From?

A controversial topic in Italy!

One concept is that it comes from the town of Parma. Is smart, contemplating the title, proper? Not so quick, as a result of the time period “parmigiana” has been linked to varied Sicilian phrases comparable to “damigiana” (a kind of wicker casserole dish), “palmigiana” (a type of louver shutter harking back to the eggplant layers in look), and “parmiciana” (which suggests “Persian”).

In any case, the earliest written recipes come from Naples, the place the dish as we all know it right this moment definitely advanced. It’s a basic in Napoli, the place they generally even exchange the tomato sauce with their tremendous wealthy ragù alla Napoletana!

Learn how to Deal with the Eggplants

Whereas the eggplants should be fried, they don’t have to be battered (opposite to well-liked conception). Don’t dip them in egg, don’t dip them in bread crumbs, don’t dip them in flour. The great thing about fried eggplants is the interaction between the oil and vegetable—it’s a magical course of that shouldn’t be interrupted!

One well-liked approach is salting eggplants previous to cooking with them, a measure which helps suck out extra moisture and might even assist to sweeten the vegetable. This can be a trick that Italians not often use because it’s fully pointless with high-quality, in-season produce. In case you reside within the North America like us, you most likely solely have entry to eggplants that are bred to be as enormous and waterlogged as doable. Therefore, this trick is sort of helpful at instances.

In case you really feel this step is critical, calmly salt the eggplant slices and allow them to drain in a colander for an hour or two previous to frying.

Learn how to Make the Excellent Eggplant Parmigiana

One of many greatest frustrations with making a very good parmigiana is making an attempt to maintain the dish from changing into too moist, a very widespread downside in North America the place eggplants are fairly watery (see above). To treatment this, attempt cooking down the tomato sauce in order that it’s thicker, and drain the chopped mozzarella in a single day to shed as a lot liquid as doable. This can end in the very best consequence and a scrumptious parmigiana!

Parmigiana di Melanzane | Genuine Italian Eggplant Parm Recipe

• 3 massive eggplants

• Frying oil (additional virgin olive oil is finest, in any other case use a impartial oil of your selection)

• Salt

• 3 cups (710ml) easy tomato sauce

• 12.5 oz. (350g) chopped mozzarella, or to style

• 1 cup (85g) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, or to style

• Recent basil

• Deep frying pan

• Metallic tongs for frying (elective, two forks work as nicely)

• Slotted spoon

• Paper towels

• 2-quart baking dish, or comparable

• Aluminum foil

Thinly slice the eggplants into cross-section discs. In the meantime, fill a deep frying pan with 1 inch of oil and convey as much as medium/excessive warmth. Like each Italian nonna, we by no means use a thermometer when frying. As a substitute, we simply drop a small piece of eggplant within the oil when it’s sizzling. If it begins to bubble and fry straight away, the oil is sizzling sufficient to fry! No must overthink it.

Working in batches in order to not overcrowd the pan, drop the eggplant slices in and fry till they’re calmly golden and wrinkled. Take away the eggplants with a slotted spoon to a paper towel to empty, and sprinkle them with salt.

Preheat an oven to 370 levels F (185 C).

Unfold a skinny layer of tomato sauce within the backside of a 2-quart baking dish. Cowl this with a single layer of barely overlapping eggplant slices. Over the eggplant, unfold some chopped mozzarella, some torn items of basil, and a beneficiant grating of Parmigiano cheese. Unfold one other skinny layer of sauce and repeat all of the above steps till you may have layered all of the eggplant. End by overlaying the highest in a fair unfold of tomato sauce and loads of grated cheese.

Cowl the dish in aluminum foil and bake it for 20 minutes. Take away the foil and cook dinner the parmigiana an extra 30-45 minutes, or till the highest is starting to crisp.

Let the dish cool for at the very least half-hour earlier than serving. Optionally, serve it chilly as an alternative of heat.

Buon appetito!

Need extra eggplant recipes? Take a look at a complete video we made all about our favorites: