The Eggplant Parmesan is a classic Italian dish, often used for Sunday lunches or family gatherings.
If you like Italian cuisine classics, don’t forget the recipe
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very cheap
- Rest time: 2 Minutes
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 2
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
- Energy 401.30 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 16.52 (g) of which sugars 3.53 (g)
- Proteins 20.18 (g)
- Fat 29.68 (g) of which saturated 16.51 (g)of which unsaturated 7.72 (g)
- Fibers 5.10 (g)
- Sodium 1,084.66 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 150 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for 2 people
- 1 eggplant
- 1 buffalo mozzarella
- 2 tablespoons grated parmesan
- 1 1/4 cups tomato sauce
- to taste salt
- to taste sunflower oil
Tools
- 1 Baking dish
- 1 Pan 8-9 inches
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 Knife
Method
The parmesan is a hearty dish given the presence of mozzarella, cheese, and eggplants fried in oil, but it’s worth it for the taste.
First, slice the eggplants lengthwise or into rounds about 3/8 inch thick.
Sprinkle the eggplants with coarse salt and let them rest for about 30 minutes under a weight so they lose their vegetation water.
Chop the onion into small cubes and sauté over low heat, cook the tomato sauce in the pan for 10-15 minutes, when it has thickened, it is ready.
Slice the mozzarella into rounds about 1/4 inch thick and place them on a paper towel to drain, so they do not release liquids during baking.
Remove the salt from the eggplants and use paper towels to ensure they are completely dry.
When frying the eggplants in oil, be careful as they tend to absorb a lot of oil; minimize frying time to prevent this.
For a lighter version, you can blanch the eggplants in the pan or grill them on a grill pan.
In a large baking dish, place a spoonful of tomato sauce, create an even layer of eggplants. Cover with mozzarella, a layer of tomato sauce, and sprinkle with a serving of freshly grated parmesan cheese.
Repeat the process until you reach the top of the baking dish. On top, add only tomato sauce, parmesan, and a few dots of butter to help the parmesan melt during baking.
You can prepare the Eggplant Parmesan in advance; in this case, simply stop here and store it in the fridge to rest until baking.
Bake at 400°F in static mode for about 40 minutes, making sure the tomato sauce does not darken too much; in this case, lower the oven temperature.
Your Eggplant Parmesan is ready!
Plating Tips:
Slice and portion your Eggplant Parmesan before baking it. With the help of a sharp knife, slice it so it will be easier to serve once cooked without ruining it.
Wine Pairing for Eggplant Parmesan:
For dishes like this, I recommend a full-bodied wine capable of reducing the fatty component of the dish. For example, you can serve a Sangiovese or a Nebbiolo.
