Melanzane parmigiana probably originated as a variant of Greek moussaka. The dish almost certainly comes from Sicily that was once part of the Magna Graecia. However, quite some contradictory information has been written about Melanzane parmigiana. Sometimes you read that it is a typical Northern Italian recipe, while other sources mention that it is made a lot in southern Italy, the area of the aubergines. The word ‘parmigiana’ would also not refer to Parmesan or Parma, so the dish may be expected to originate in Northern Italy.
Preperation: 45 minutes
Quantity: 4 persons
Ingredients:
3 eggplants
salt
2 cloves of garlic
3 cans tomato cubes (1200 g)
2 tbsp white balsamic vinegar
2 balls of buffalo mozzarella
75 grams of Parmesan cheese
1.5 tbsp sugar
3 sprigs fresh thyme
3 sprigs fresh basil
Italian herbs (basil, oregano, marjoram, thyme, rosemary)
salt
pepper
olive oil
Preperation:
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees and prepare a baking tray with parchment paper.
Cut the aubergines into slices about 1 cm thick. Place the aubergines in a colander and sprinkle with salt. You can put several layers of aubergines in the colander. Put a piece of kitchen paper between each layer. Let the salt soak in the eggplants for about 30 minutes. You will see the eggplants getting moist. The moisture pulls from the eggplant through the salt. After 30 minutes, pat the aubergines dry with a paper towel.
Meanwhile, prepare the tomato sauce. Chop the garlic and remove the thyme leaves from the twigs. Fry the garlic and thyme in a pan of olive oil for about 2 minutes in a pan.
Add the tomato cubes, vinegar and sugar. Let the sauce simmer for about 15 minutes. Chop the basil leaves and season the sauce with it. Also add salt and pepper to taste. You can also add some extra Italian herbs to flavor the sauce.
Heat the grill pan or grill iron. Brush the drained eggplants with some olive oil and sprinkle with some salt and Italian herbs. Grill the aubergines in the grill pan until you see beautiful brown grill handles on your aubergine. Place the grilled eggplants on a plate or cutting board.
Meanwhile, cut the mozzarella into thin slices. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees and prepare an oven dish. .
First fill the baking dish with a layer of tomato sauce. Place the slices of eggplant on top followed by a layer of slices of mozzarella. Repeat this and finish with a layer of tomato sauce. Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese over the last layer of tomato sauce.
Slide the melanzane alla parmigiana into the warm oven for about 20-25 minutes. Serve with bread and a tasty salad.
Enjoy your meal!
The book below is highly recommended for more Italian recipes.
Instructional video of this recipe on youtube: