Eggplant Parmigiana
Eggplant parmigiana is one of my favourite Italian dishes!
It reminds me of when I have been travelling in Italy and sick of all the carbs (pizza & pasta for breakfast lunch and dinner) so I opt for an eggplant parmigiana and it hits the spot every time!
Crispy fried eggplant layered with mozzarella cheese, parmesan and sugo, it is seriously so yummy! The perfect vegetarian dish in my opinion!
This recipe has two options, you can either fry batter the eggplant and fry it, or fry it as is. Either way, it is delicious however obviously with the battering there is a bit more work involved!
This goes perfectly as a side dish with schnitzel or if you’re having an Italian style dinner party, it is the perfect starter!
Prep Time: 60 min
Cooking Time: 30 min
Serves: 6 as a starter or 4 as a main
Ingredients:
4 eggplants
2 cups flour (for batter)
4 eggs (for batter)
Olive oil
Salt
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup grated parmesan
Fresh Basil Torn
Sugo
1 x Passata 700ml
4 garlic cloves, crushed
Olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 TBS Italian herbs
1 TBS brown sugar
Method:
Cut off the stalks of the eggplant, and then cut it long ways into thin slices (about 1/2 cm)
Arrange them on a tray of paper towel and sprinke a generous amount of salt on them. Leave them for 30 minutes until all the liquid has been drawn out. This will ensure you don’t have soggy eggplant! Dry well with a paper towel
Crispy battered eggplant: Place your eggs and flour into two seperate bowls. Dip the eggplant in the egg and then flour. Heat a shallow amount of oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Fry the eggplants for 1-2 mins each side until they are golden. Place on paper towel to drain
Fried eggplant: Fry the eggplants in a frying pan with a some olive oil for 1-2 mins each side until they start to brown and become translucent. Place on paper towel to drain
Sugo: Fry onions, garlic and italian herbs in a pan over a medium heat with about 1 TBS olive oil for 5 mins. Add in the passata, brown sugar, salt and pepper and let it simmer for 30 mins on a low heat.
Assembling:
Preheat oven to 180c
Using a deep baking/lasagne dish, spread some of the sugo on the base and then add a layer of eggplant, sugo, parmesan and mozzarella (just a light sprinkle) and some fresh basil.
Repeat until you run out of eggplant, then top with sauce and cover in mozzarella
Bake for 25-30 mins until golden brown. Let it sit for 20 mins before serving (if you have time!)
Serve and enjoy!
