A classic southern Italian dish of fried eggplant layered with rich tomato sauce, cheese, and basil — hearty, comforting, and full of flavor.
Serves: 6–8
Total time: 3 hours (plus 30 minutes resting)
Ingredients
- 4 medium round eggplants (seedless, fresh)
- 3 cans (400 g each) San Marzano whole peeled tomatoes
- 2 garlic cloves
- 15 fresh basil leaves
- Plain flour (for dusting the eggplants)
- Frying oil (peanut or sunflower)
- 4 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 100 g grated Parmigiano Reggiano
- 100 g grated Pecorino Romano
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
Eggplant Parmigiana, or Melanzane alla Parmigiana, is one of Italy’s most beloved comfort foods. Imagine thin slices of golden-fried eggplant, layered with a rich tomato sauce that’s been simmered slowly with garlic and basil, then crowned with generous handfuls of cheese. Baked until bubbling and golden, it’s a dish that fills the kitchen with irresistible aromas and brings everyone to the table.
Method
1. Prepare the Tomato Sauce
To begin with, heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Almost immediately, the fragrance of garlic will perfume the kitchen as you add the cloves and let them gently sizzle. After about a minute, pour in the peeled tomatoes, crushing them with your hands or a fork so they release their juices. At this stage, season with a little salt and pepper, then allow the sauce to simmer slowly. It will thicken slightly and take on a deep, rich flavor. After about 30 minutes, stir in a handful of fresh basil leaves. Lower the heat and let the sauce infuse for a few more minutes before removing the garlic cloves.
2. Fry the Eggplants
In the meantime, prepare the eggplants. Slice them into thin, even rounds, about 1 cm thick. Dust each slice lightly with flour, which will give them a delicate crust when fried. Next, heat your frying oil until shimmering, then slip in a few slices at a time. The eggplants will bubble gently as they turn golden brown. Resist the temptation to overcrowd the pan; patience will reward you with evenly fried slices. Once done, transfer them to absorbent paper to drain. The fried eggplants should be soft in the center yet slightly crisp around the edges, ready to soak up the sauce and cheese.
3. Assemble the Parmigiana
Now comes the most satisfying part: layering. First, preheat your oven to 180°C (static mode) and lightly grease a baking dish with olive oil. Spread a thin veil of tomato sauce on the bottom — this will prevent sticking and start building flavor. Next, arrange a layer of fried eggplant slices, slightly overlapping them like tiles on a roof. After that, spoon over more tomato sauce, sprinkle generously with a mix of Parmigiano and Pecorino, and scatter in a few basil leaves for brightness. Repeat this layering until you have three rich layers. Finally, finish with a blanket of sauce and an extra handful of grated cheese, which will form a golden crust in the oven.
4. Bake & Serve
At this point, slide the dish into the oven and bake for about 30 minutes. As it cooks, the sauce will bubble up, the cheeses will melt and crisp, and the whole kitchen will be filled with irresistible aromas. Once it’s golden on top, remove it from the oven and let it rest for at least 30 minutes. This pause allows the layers to settle and the flavors to deepen. Like many Italian classics, Parmigiana is even better the next day, when the flavors have had even more time to mingle.
