Eggplants alla parmigiana
This is a great end-of-summer recipe, when eggplants and tomatoes are at their best.
Obviously, using the best quality mozzarella and parmesan makes a world of difference.
Be careful to leave a good distance between each layer of eggplant in your baking dish (or make individual portions). This is not supposed to be an eggplant lasagne!
Ingredients
- 4 medium eggplants
- ¼ cup salt
- ½ cup olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 garlic clove, chopped
- 6 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 Tbsp Pasta Staff spice blend, ground
- 3 cups peeled tomatoes, OR canned tomatoes
- Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
- ½ lb fresh mozzarella
- 2 oz parmesan
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
Method
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1
Cut eggplants in ½ to ¾ - inch slices. Place in a bowl and rub with salt. Stack the slices and let rest for 10 minutes.
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2
Rinse the eggplant slices under running water and use your hands to squeeze out excess water, without crushing the slices. Rinse again under running water, let swell for 1 minute and squeeze once again. The eggplants are now ready to brown without absorbing too much oil.
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3
Heat a pan on medium with ½ cup olive oil and brown the eggplant slices for a few minutes on either side. Set aside on a plate lined with a paper towel.
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4
Add onion, garlic and 6 Tbsp olive oil to the pan. Cook for a few minutes to soften the onion without browning.
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5
Coarsely chop tomatoes and add to the pan with the spices, salt and pepper. Simmer for 15 minutes.
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6
Heat the oven to 375 °F.
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7
Pour one third of the tomato sauce into the bottom of a baking dish or into individual ramequins.
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8
Place the eggplant slices in the baking dish or the ramequins. Place the slices 2 inches apart, in the dish. Sprinkle parmesan on each slice then add a slice of mozzarella. Pour on a small spoonful of sauce followed by another slice of eggplant.
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9
Pour on some tomato sauce and a sprinkle of olive oil.
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10
Bake in the oven until the mozzarella melts.
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11
Let rest for 2-3 minutes before serving.
