Grilled Eggplant Parmigiana

Grilled eggplant parmigiana is a delicious variant of the traditional parmigiana, lighter since the eggplants are not fried. Here is the recipe:

Ingredients

• Eggplants, 3 medium
• Tomato passata, 500 ml
• Garlic, 1 clove
• Fresh basil, a few leaves
• Mozzarella, 300 g
• Parmesan, 100 g grated
• Salt, to taste
• Extra virgin olive oil, to taste
• Black pepper, to taste (optional)

Preparation

1. Wash the eggplants, dry them and cut them lengthwise into slices about 5 mm thick.
2. Heat a grill and cook the eggplant slices until they have a nice golden color on both sides. Lightly salt and set aside.
3. In a pan, sauté the garlic in a little oil and then add the tomato passata, salt and basil. Let it cook for about 15-20 minutes until you get a thick sauce. Remove the garlic.
4. Cut the mozzarella into cubes and let it drain to remove excess whey.
5. Prepare a baking dish and start with a layer of tomato sauce on the bottom.
6. Arrange the grilled eggplant slices evenly, then cover with a little tomato sauce, some mozzarella cubes and sprinkle with parmesan.
7. Repeat the layers (eggplant, tomato, mozzarella and parmesan) until the ingredients are used up, finishing with a final layer of sauce and parmesan.
8. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 °C for about 30 minutes or until the surface is golden and forms a crust.
9. Let the grilled eggplant parmigiana rest for 10-15 minutes before serving.

Trivia

The eggplant parmigiana is a dish rich in history, whose name might derive from the term “parmeciana”, which in Neapolitan dialect referred to shutters, similar to the layers of eggplant in the dish. Despite the name suggesting the city of Parma, its origin is much debated, and it is contested between the southern regions of Italy, particularly Campania and Sicily.

If you wish to accompany this dish with a wine, a fresh rosé or a slightly fruity white would be perfect.