Recipe
Melanzane alla parmigiana
Baked eggplant parmigiana the lighter way: salted, oven-roasted eggplant slices layered with tomato sauce, mozzarella, parmesan and basil - no frying, all the comfort.
Melanzane alla parmigiana takes about 115 minutes and makes 4 servings. Each serving has 445 kcal.
- Preparation
- 40 minutes
- Cooking
- 75 minutes
- Total time
- 115 minutes
- Servings
- 4
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 445 kcal
- Protein
- 21 g
- Carbohydrates
- 17 g
- Fat
- 32 g
Ingredients
- Eggplant3 pcs
- Salt1 pinch
- Olive oil4 tbsp
- Garlic2 cloves
- Canned peeled tomatoes800 g
- Fresh basil20 g
- Fresh mozzarella250 g
- Parmesan80 g
Instructions
- 1
Slice the eggplants lengthwise into 1 cm slices, salt them generously on both sides and leave them in a colander for 30 minutes to release their water.
Tip: Do not skip the salting - it draws out moisture and any bitterness, and keeps the layers from turning watery in the oven.
- 2
Meanwhile, gently cook the sliced garlic in 2 tablespoons of olive oil, add the tomatoes, crush them with a spoon and simmer the sauce for 20 minutes; season with salt.
- 3
Pat the eggplant slices thoroughly dry, brush both sides with the remaining olive oil and lay them on two baking trays.
- 4
Roast at 220 °C for about 20 minutes, turning once, until golden and tender.
- 5
In a baking dish, layer sauce, eggplant, torn mozzarella, grated parmesan and basil leaves; repeat, finishing with sauce and a good layer of parmesan.
- 6
Bake at 180 °C for 30 minutes, until bubbling and browned on top.
- 7
Rest the parmigiana for 15 minutes before cutting so the layers set.
Tip: Cutting it straight from the oven makes the layers slide apart. Fifteen minutes of rest gives you clean, stable slices - it tastes better warm than hot anyway.
Cooking methods
On the stove
Only the sauce needs the stove: keep it at a gentle simmer over low heat, lid off, until it thickens slightly. Everything else happens in the oven - use the middle rack for the eggplant and the assembled dish.
On induction
Simmer the sauce on power 3 of 9, stirring now and then; induction holds a steady low simmer well. The eggplant and the bake are oven work, so the stovetop's role ends with the sauce.
Over an open fire
In a lidded Dutch oven this works over fire: roast the oiled eggplant slices on a grill grate over embers, then bake the layered dish with embers below and a shovelful on the lid, about 35 minutes. Turn the pot occasionally for even browning.
Recipe questions
- How long does this recipe take?
- Plan for about 115 minutes from start to finish.
- How many servings does this recipe make?
- This recipe makes 4 servings.
- Can I cook this recipe on induction?
- Yes. Simmer the sauce on power 3 of 9, stirring now and then; induction holds a steady low simmer well. The eggplant and the bake are oven work, so the stovetop's role ends with the sauce.
- Can I cook this recipe over an open fire?
- Yes. In a lidded Dutch oven this works over fire: roast the oiled eggplant slices on a grill grate over embers, then bake the layered dish with embers below and a shovelful on the lid, about 35 minutes. Turn the pot occasionally for even browning.
- Which dietary preferences does this recipe support?
- This recipe is tagged: vegetarian.
In the app
Cooking the way it should feel
One step on screen, a timer that keeps going, and clear progress until the dish is done.
