Neapolitan Eggplant Parmigiana DOC!
The Neapolitan eggplant parmigiana: another glory of traditional Neapolitan cuisine!
There are various schools of thought on the preparation of parmigiana: some cook it without oil to make it lighter, some coat the eggplants in flour and then in egg, some slice them thin so they melt in your mouth, and others cut them thick to better taste the eggplant flavor, some season it with Neapolitan ragù… this is my simple, not too greasy, and light personal recipe, which always scores success with my family and guests.
Eggplant Parmigiana is ideal in summer for a picnic or a summer brunch, but also in winter it is always a well-appreciated dish.
If you love Neapolitan cuisine, click on my Special: “Neapolitan Cuisine DOC”.
If you are looking for summer recipes, click on my: “Summer Special”.
If you are looking for foolproof, super tested recipes that are flop-proof, click on my Special: “My TOP Recipes”.
You might also be interested in:
- Creamy Raw Zucchini Parmigiana. Easy Recipe, No Frying.
- Whole Eggplants in Air Fryer. Tested Easy Recipe.
- Light Grilled Eggplants… in the Oven (smart recipe!!)
- Scialatielli Aumm Aumm with Eggplants and Fior di Latte. Easy Caprese Recipe.
- Neapolitan Fried Eggplant Sandwiches, Stuffed with Salami and Fior di Latte.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Cheap
- Rest time: 2 Hours
- Preparation time: 1 Hour
- Portions: 6-8
- Cooking methods: Oven, Frying
- Cuisine: Italian Regional
- Region: Campania
- Seasonality: All seasons, Spring, Summer
Ingredients for Neapolitan Eggplant Parmigiana
- 2.2 lbs oval black eggplants
- 2.2 lbs tomatoes (fresh)
- 14 oz Fior di Latte (or mozzarella or provola)
- Onions (chopped)
- 8 tbsps Parmesan cheese (grated)
- 2 Eggs (whole)
- to taste Basil (abundant)
- to taste Salt
- to taste Sugar
- to taste Olive oil (abundant for frying the eggplants, about 1 quart)
Tools
- Vegetable Peeler
- Bowl
- Hand Blender
- Frying Pan
- Pot
- Whisk
- Baking Dish
Preparation of Neapolitan Eggplant Parmigiana
Peel the eggplants and cut them lengthwise into thin slices, place them in a dish in layers with a little salt between two plates with a weight on top to remove the bitterness.
After one to two hours, wash, squeeze, and dry them.
Fry the eggplants in abundant hot oil (note: DO NOT flour them) at about 356°F (if you don’t have a thermometer, drop a small piece of eggplant into the hot oil, if it sizzles, the temperature is right) and when they are golden on both sides, drain them and place them on absorbent paper and then on a plate.
Prepare the sauce by cutting the fresh tomatoes in half, let them drain for at least half an hour in a colander, and then boil them with a bit of onion and basil (note: no oil).
Blend the boiled tomatoes with the hand blender and put them back on low heat until they thicken, salt only at the end when the sauce is reduced (it should NOT be liquid).
Mix the abundant basil leaves in pieces with the drained Fior di Latte in strips.
Beat two whole eggs with a pinch of salt and add 8 tablespoons of fresh tomato sauce.
At this point, arrange the eggplants slightly overlapped in the baking dish, sprinkle them with basil, Fior di Latte, Parmesan, a pinch of sugar, and two or three tablespoons of egg sauce, finishing with simple sauce.
Make a second layer like the first one and – after covering it with a third layer of eggplants – top it with Parmesan, basil, the rest of the egg sauce, and the simple tomato sauce, finishing with more Parmesan.
Bake the eggplant parmigiana at 320°F/356°F for half an hour to three-quarters of an hour, increasing the oven’s heat in the last 5 minutes.
Let the parmigiana settle for 5 minutes so that the flavors meld well (it should NOT be served piping hot).
Serve the eggplant parmigiana warm (but it’s also good cold) accompanied by homemade bread or freselle.
Notes and Tips
If you want to try making this light version of parmigiana, read my recipe for “Light Grilled Eggplants… in the Oven (smart recipe!!)“.
How to fry eggplants without soaking them in oil?: With the right amount of oil (they should literally “float” in the oil) and the right oil temperature (about 356°F), as soon as you put the eggplants to fry, a crust will form all around them due to the thermal shock, sealing the eggplants during frying and letting in as little oil as possible (see here).
The parmigiana can be kept for up to 3 days. You can heat it in the oven or microwave when needed. It’s also delicious cold!
If you’re looking for easy recipes and don’t want to spend much time at the stove, click here on: “Easy and Quick Recipes”
Shopping Tips!!!
I blended the boiled tomatoes with my handy immersion blender, the Braun MultiQuick 7 Hand Blender, which you can purchase at a special price by clicking HERE
Read my review for GialloZafferano on the Hand Blender “Braun MQ9045 MultiQuick 9”. #adv
I cooked the parmigiana in this irresistible Pyrex baking dish made of borosilicate glass: 100% natural and hygienic material, ideal for oven cooking up to 572°F. It withstands thermal shocks, can go directly from the freezer at -4°F to the oven at 464°F. You can find it on Amazon at a special price. #adv
