Eggplant Parmigiana

Name: Eggplant Parmigiana
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 1 h 25 min
Total time: 2 h 5 min
Cuisine: Italy
Ingredients: 1⅓ kg (3 lb) eggplants, about 3 large, sliced lengthwise 1 cm thick; 6 g (1 tsp) fine sea salt; 100 ml (scant ½ cup) olive oil; 700 ml (3 cups) tomato sauce, Tomato Sauce or good store-bought passata simmered with garlic and basil; 250 g (9 oz) low-moisture mozzarella, torn or grated; or fresh mozzarella, drained and patted dry; 80 g (¾ cup grated) Parmesan, finely grated; or a vegetarian hard cheese (traditional Parmesan uses animal rennet); 15 g (a large handful) basil leaves

Layers of golden eggplant, tomato sauce, mozzarella and Parmesan

Serves: 6
Hands-on: 40 min
Total: 2 h 5 min
Level: Some skill

Parmigiana di melanzane is southern Italy's great vegetable bake: slices of eggplant, browned until creamy, layered with a simple tomato sauce, mozzarella, basil and Parmesan, then baked until bubbling. This version roasts rather than fries the eggplant, which uses far less oil and keeps the dish light.

Ingredients

1⅓ kgeggplants (3 lb)about 3 large, sliced lengthwise 1 cm thick
6 gfine sea salt (1 tsp)
100 mlolive oil (scant ½ cup)
700 mltomato sauce (3 cups)Tomato Sauce or good store-bought passata simmered with garlic and basil
250 glow-moisture mozzarella (9 oz)torn or grated; or fresh mozzarella, drained and patted dry
80 gParmesan (¾ cup grated)finely grated; or a vegetarian hard cheese (traditional Parmesan uses animal rennet)
15 gbasil leaves (a large handful)

Diet: Vegetarian, Gluten-free
Allergens: milk
Origin: Italy (southern)
Season: Summer, Autumn

Method

Heat the oven to 220°C (425°F). Line two or three sheet pans with parchment.
Lay out the eggplant slices, brush both sides with the oil and season lightly with the salt.
Roast, flipping once, until golden-brown, soft and collapsed, 25–30 minutes, swapping the pans halfway. Lower the oven to 190°C (375°F). 28 min
Spread a thin layer of tomato sauce over the bottom of a 20 × 30 cm (8 × 12 in) baking dish.
Add a layer of eggplant, then sauce, a third of the mozzarella, a quarter of the Parmesan and a few basil leaves. Repeat twice more.
Finish with the remaining eggplant, the rest of the sauce and the remaining Parmesan.
Bake until bubbling at the edges and browned on top, 35–40 minutes. 38 min
Rest at least 20 minutes before cutting, so the layers set. Serve warm, scattered with basil. 20 min

Why it works

Roasting drives water out of eggplant and browns it, concentrating its flavor and giving a creamy, dense texture; raw or underbrowned slices would release water into the bake. Low-moisture mozzarella melts without making the layers soggy. Resting lets the cheese and sauce firm up so it slices cleanly.