Eggplant Parmigiana for 4 -5 persons
Some
notes:
- I don’t bread and fry the sliced eggplant before layering, I just grill the slices on a cast iron ribbed skillet.
- Even though I don’t fry the eggplant, this recipe gets better the more olive oil you use.
- You have to let the tomato absorb the taste of the onion and garlic a good while so you have a rich tasting sauce, so cook it for at least 20 minutes. Add oil and water as needed so that it doesn't dry up.
Ingredients:
2
medium
sized eggplants
5
cloves garlic chopped finely
1
medium
onion chopped finely chopped
a
few leaves basil
1
large can (800 gr) imported Italian tomatoes (Cirio, San
Marzano pelati, for example) Even
better, if you can find it is Passata di Pomodoro, you will have a
delicious velvety sauce
mozzarella
Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
Olive
oil, you’ll
need about ¾ cup
salt/pepper
For
the eggplant:
Cut
off both ends of the eggplants so you can easily stand it on end and
slice downward with a sharp knife. Slices should be thin.
Salt
them lightly on both sides and brush with olive oil on both sides.
Grill
them on both sides until
they are soft and cooked through. (Some people fry them quickly in
hot oil, and then set them aside on paper towels, whatever you
prefer)
For
the sauce:
Cook
the onion and garlic in olive oil in a skillet until soft and
transparent.
Add
the tomatoes and the juice they’re in after you’ve smashed them
uniformly. Or
use Passata di Pomodoro if you can find it..
Add
the leaves of basil
Cook
for about 15 or 20 minutes until the flavors have blended
Add
olive oil to the tomato if you think it looks dry.
Use
a glass ovenproof dish to assemble everything.
Daub
the bottom of the dish with your sauce.
Add
the baked layers of eggplant at the bottom and add more sauce and
sprinkle bits of mozzarella on this and then grate some of the
Parmigiano
cheese.
Repeat
this with each layer of eggplant, always
adding sauce, then the cheeses, etc.
Once
it’s assembled, you can let it rest in the refrigerator or you can
put it directly in the oven at about 350, uncovered. Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes.
Afterwards,
let it cool a bit so it doesn’t fall apart when you cut it.
