We all know the legendary parmigiana, a dish that from Sicily has gradually been adopted by the rest of the country, becoming almost a symbol of Italian-ness! In my small way, to enjoy it more often, I try to make it in a lighter version, with grilled eggplants instead of fried! Yes, I know, probably distorting it a bit, but I care more about health, and I assure you that the grilled version, as well as being less caloric and more digestible, is still very pleasant. But today I don’t want to write a dissertation on the pros and cons of frying, nor convince you of its unhealthy aspects! I am more interested in telling you how a classic parmigiana can become a qualitatively alternative version, using fridge-cleaning ingredients or leftovers from other recipes! And the result is a vegetarian main course that, when divided into small squares, can turn into a tasty appetizer or finger food! If you have some feta to use up in the fridge and some pesto nearing expiration or, like me, from your homemade stocks, this recipe is for you! Several layers of pure goodness, between fresh tomatoes and eggplants, simply seasoned by combining cherry tomato sauce with basil pesto and replacing mozzarella with coarsely crumbled feta! It will become your ace in the hole because once you taste it, you won’t be able to do without it!
If, like me, you are open to alternative versions, I recommend trying these other super tempting and unusual ideas:
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Medium
- Rest time: 15 Minutes
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 6
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Summer
Ingredients
⚠ THIS RECIPE CONTAINS ONE OR MORE AFFILIATE LINKS. The products I recommend are the same ones I use in my recipes; buying them through my blog helps support me and my work, while costing you nothing extra!
- 2 oval black eggplants (medium-large or 3 small)
- 15 oz piccadilly tomatoes
- 1.5 cups tomato sauce (cherry)
- 5 oz feta (Greek)
- 2 oz grated Parmesan
- 8 black olives (or green)
- 10 leaves basil
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
- to taste salt
- 2.5 oz basil
- 1 oz pistachios
- 1 clove garlic
- 1.5 oz grated Parmesan
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- to taste fine salt
Tools
- 1 Knife
- 1 Grill pan
- 1 Tongs
- 1 Blender
- Paper towel
- 1 Spoon
- 1 Baking dish
Preparation
Start by washing the eggplants very well under running water, then trim them by removing the stem and slice them widthwise to a thickness of half an inch.
Wash, dry, and slice the tomatoes into rounds of about 3/4 inch.
Grill them for 3 minutes per side on a very hot grill pan using tongs to turn them, then once cooked, set them aside.
Meanwhile, rinse the basil with a strainer under running water.
Pat the basil leaves dry with plenty of paper towel to dry them well.
Transfer the basil to a blender along with a garlic clove, the pistachios, and the grated Parmesan.
Add a pinch of salt and drizzle with olive oil.
Blend in bursts until you achieve a smooth and creamy consistency.
Spread a few spoons of tomato sauce on the bottom of a non-stick baking dish and start layering a first layer of grilled eggplant slices. Arrange them next to each other, slightly overlapping.
Cover evenly with some spoons of tomato sauce and 2-3 spoons of basil pesto and create a second layer of tomato slices in rounds. Salt and pepper to taste.
Add the coarsely crumbled feta with your hands, the pitted olives cut into slices, a drizzle of olive oil and 2 basil leaves. Finally, finish with a sprinkle of grated Parmesan.
Continue following the same procedure for the following layers until the ingredients are used up. Then another layer of eggplants seasoned with tomato sauce and pesto.
Then more tomatoes, adjust salt and pepper, crumbled feta, olives, basil, a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of Parmesan. Create a final layer with the remaining eggplants, tomato sauce, pesto, and another sprinkle of grated Parmesan. Cook in a preheated oven at 350°F for about 25-30 minutes, or until a golden crust forms on the surface.
Turn off the oven, remove the dish, and let the parmigiana rest for 10 minutes at room temperature before slicing.
And voilà… the reimagined eggplant parmigiana with pesto and Greek feta is ready to be enjoyed!
Bon Appetit from La Cucina di FeFe’!
Tips, notes, variations, and suggestions
🟣The choice of grilled eggplants: perhaps for purists grilling the eggplants is almost a sacrilege, but for me, who prepares this dish several times in summer, frying cannot be contemplated. That said, mine is just a healthier choice, so nothing prevents you from frying the eggplants if you prefer.
🟣You can replace Greek feta with any other fresh cheese like robiola, quark cheese, etc., or even stringy cheese like provolone, asiago, or even mozzarella, as long as the latter is well drained of its whey.
Storage
👉The reimagined eggplant parmigiana with pesto and feta keeps in the fridge in suitable refrigeration containers, preferably glass, for a maximum of 2-3 days.
