Baked Eggplant Parmigiana

Eggplant parmigiana is a classic of Italian cuisine that combines the intense flavor of fried eggplant with the sweetness of tomato passata and the stringy mozzarella. The preparation takes a bit of time but the result is absolutely delicious.

Ingredients

• 3 medium-sized eggplants
• 600 g tomato passata
• 250 g mozzarella, preferably buffalo mozzarella from Campania
• 100 g grated parmesan
• 1 white or yellow onion
• Fresh basil
• Oil for frying
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt
• Sugar (optional, to balance the acidity of the tomatoes)

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C if static, or 170 °C if fan-assisted.
2. Wash the eggplants and pat them dry. Remove the stem and slice them lengthwise about half a centimeter thick. You can also cut them into rounds depending on your preference.
3. Layer the slices in a colander, sprinkling each layer with a little coarse salt. Let them rest for 30 minutes to remove excess water and the bitter taste. This step is important to prevent the eggplant from becoming too watery during cooking.
4. Rinse the eggplant to remove the salt and pat dry thoroughly with a kitchen towel or paper towels.
5. Heat plenty of frying oil in a large pan. The oil should be hot enough to fry but not so hot that it burns the eggplant.
6. Fry the eggplant slices a few at a time to avoid lowering the oil temperature too much. Cook until golden on both sides (about 2-3 minutes per side).
7. Drain the eggplant with a slotted spoon and place on a plate lined with paper towels to remove excess oil. You can pat them with more paper towels to make them even less greasy.
8. Peel the onion and chop it finely.
9. In a large pan, heat a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil over medium heat.
10. Add the chopped onion and sauté slowly over low heat for 10-15 minutes, until soft and golden. Stir often to prevent burning, ensuring the onion releases all its sweet, delicate flavor.
11. Once the onion is well softened, add the tomato passata to the pan.
12. Stir well and season with salt. You can add half a teaspoon of sugar to balance the acidity of the tomatoes. If the passata is very thick, add a little water to prevent the sauce from drying out too much during cooking.
13. Let the sauce simmer over very low heat for about 50 minutes, covering the pan with a lid. Stir occasionally to prevent the sauce from sticking to the bottom and ensure it maintains a velvety consistency.
14. During cooking, if you notice the sauce drying out too much, add a few tablespoons of hot water. In the last 5 minutes of cooking, add a few fresh basil leaves to perfume the sauce.
15. Once ready, the sauce should be thick, aromatic, and well balanced. Remove the basil before using it to layer the parmigiana.
16. Take a baking dish and start with a light layer of sauce on the bottom to prevent the eggplant from sticking. Arrange a layer of fried eggplant, slightly overlapping the slices.
17. Cover the eggplant with a layer of tomato sauce, then add diced mozzarella (well drained to avoid releasing too much liquid) and a generous sprinkle of grated parmesan.
18. Repeat the process, alternating layers of eggplant, sauce, mozzarella, and parmesan until all ingredients are used. The final layer should consist of sauce and a generous sprinkle of parmesan, without mozzarella.
19. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil (to prevent the surface from browning too quickly) and bake for about 20 minutes.
20. Remove the foil and continue baking for another 10-15 minutes, or until the surface is well browned and golden.
21. Once out of the oven, let the parmigiana rest for at least 10-15 minutes before serving. This step allows the flavors to meld better and makes slicing easier.

Trivia

Eggplant parmigiana is a dish rich in history and tradition with deep roots in southern Italy. The dish has become famous worldwide and is an emblematic example of Italian home cooking and comfort food par excellence.