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It’s just one of more than 100 recipes we’ve cooked live together in our beloved Cooking Club! From my kitchen in Bolgheri — a little village on the Tuscan coast surrounded by vineyards and olive groves — I share the authentic flavors of Italy with our members around the world, since 2020!
Cook along with me a dish that adds joy to the summer: parmigiana di melanzane, or eggplant parmigiana. Actually, for me, it’s a dish for any season! I can eat a whole casserole by myself, and I’m not the only one in the family.
Made with sliced aubergine (eggplant), a flavorful tomato sauce, mozzarella, parmigiano cheese and fresh basil, this parmigiana becomes easier when you skip frying the eggplant. During this class, I’ll teach you how to fry-without-frying to keep the best flavor, save time and enjoy a healthier result.
Once all ingredients are assembled, we’ll bake the casserole in the oven. Add breadcrumbs on top to get the most amazing crunch. Pure joy!
Class Notes/Announcements:
– Please slice your eggplants before class. The video below gives instructions, followed by a preview of the steps to roast the eggplants (this second part we’ll do together in class).
WATCH: How to Slice and Roast Eggplants
– See recipe notes for potential variations to try and storage instructions.
– Please pre-measure ingredients and set out your tools before class.
- 1.5kg / 3lb eggplants
- 370g / 13oz mozzarella, shredded or sliced
- 200g / 1 cup breadcrumbs or panko
- 260ml / 1 ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 90g / 1 cup parmigiano cheese
- 2 handfuls fresh basil
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1kg / 2lb canned tomato, diced, crushed, or chunky
- Fine sea salt to taste
Tools to have on hand:
Sauté pan
Casserole dish, about 8 x 10 – 2 inches deep (20 x 27 – 5 cm deep)
2 or 3 baking sheets
Small bowl
Parchment paper
Pastry brush
Eggplant Parmigiana Casserole
Equipment
- Sauté pan
- Casserole dish, about 8 x 10 - 2 inches deep (20 x 27 - 5 cm deep)
- 2 or 3 baking sheets
- Small bowl
- Parchment paper
Ingredients
- 1.5 kg eggplants - sliced about 5mm / ¼ inch thick
- 370 g mozzarella - shredded or sliced
- 200 g breadcrumbs - or panko
- 200 ml extra-virgin olive oil
- Fine sea salt to taste
- 90 g parmigiano cheese - freshly grated
- 1 handful fresh basil leaves - leaves torn
- fresh basil leaves - to garnish
For the Tomato Sauce
- 2 cloves garlic - crushed
- 1 handful basil - leaves torn
- 60 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 1 kg canned tomato - diced, crushed, or chunky
- Fine sea salt - to taste
Instructions
Prepare the eggplants
- Turn the oven on 200°C / 390°F.
- Line 2 or 3 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- With a brush, cover the parchment paper with 2 Tbs of extra-virgin olive oil.
- Line the sliced eggplants without overlapping them in the baking sheets. With the same brush, spread abundantly, most of the remaining extra-virgin olive oil on the sliced eggplants (reserve some of the oil for drizzling for the topping at the end). Sprinkle them with salt.
- Bake the eggplants until nicely charred. It takes about 20-25 minutes.
- When ready, set aside.
Prepare the sauce
- In a saucepan, add garlic, extra virgin olive oil, the tomatoes, basil and salt to taste.
- Turn the heat low-to-medium and cook for about 20-25 minutes over a gentle simmer. When cooked, the sauce should result in a thick rather than watery texture.
Assemble the parmigiana
- The bottom:- Drizzle the bottom of your baking dish with extra virgin olive oil and half of the breadcrumbs.
- Layering the parmigiana:- Start with a layer of eggplants- Spread ⅓ of the tomato sauce- Sprinkle ⅓ of parmigiano cheese- Add ⅓ of the sliced mozzarella- Add half of torn basil
- Repeat the filling layers above and cover with the last layer of eggplants.
- The topping:- Spread the remaining tomato sauce and the remaining mozzarella.- Top off with the remaining breadcrumbs and parmigiano cheese.- Finish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
Cook the eggplant parmigiana
- Cook uncovered for about 40 - 60 minutes, depending on the baking dish you’re using. Eggplant parmigiana is cooked when you see some ‘bubbling’ around the edges of the baking dish and the top is golden brown.
- Cool off the eggplant parmigiana for at least 10 minutes before serving. It can be served warm or cold. Garnish with fresh basil leaves.
Notes
Once parmigiana is assembled, cover with cling wrap and freeze without baking it.
When you’re ready to eat, you can bake from frozen or thaw a few hours before and bake it. - If you have leftover parmigiana, it’s a great topping on pasta the next day.
Wine Pairing
Recommendations
– Barbera
– Lighter Style Chianti
– Rosso di Montalcino
– Pinot Noir
My Somm Friend Thoughts
Any dish with tomato sauce needs a wine with high acidity to match it. What would be better than an Italian Red?!! Our juicy friend Barbera (the wine of the people) will do great here. If you prefer a Sangiovese, then choose a younger lighter style which would NOT be a Chianti Classico or Riserva. Since acid is key here, a nice Pinot Noir will certainly do the trick.
Did You Know
Is Italian wine naming confusing? YES IT IS! For example, Montepulciano is both a grape and a place. And Italian wine names / labels usually do not tell you what grape the wine is made from. Once you learn which wines are made from Sangiovese (A LOT OF THEM) vs Nebbiolo etc., you can look for the “di” or “de” in an Italian wine name to figure out where it is from. Rosso di Montalcino is a lighter version of Sangiovese wine from Montalcino. Brunello di Montalcino is also Sangiovese wine and is also from Montalcino but is a much more robust and aged version. Montepulciano di Abruzzo is wine made with the Montepulciano grape in Abruzzo. Vino Nobile de Montepulciano is a Sangiovese based wine made in Montepulciano. Confusing? Yes! Delicious? ALSO, YES!
Recommendations for each recipe are graciously shared by our friend and member Linda from MySommFriend.