Parmigiana di melanzane (aubergines parmesan)

Hello friends, how i miss sharing with you what i love doing the most! I know It’s been more than three months since the last time i posted, all i can say that i had too much on my plate and i was juggling between all my duties…. Bref! I am back 🙂

I am the biggest fan of aubergines, i find it strange how some people, (referring to my husband) don’t fancy and even find it bland. I can even eat the simplest way done, fried or grilled with just a pinch of salt or a drizzle of olive oil!

Parmigiana di melanzane, or aubergines parmesan, is an italian traditional dish far to be boring or dull! it consists of aubergines and cheese layered in a tomato sauce! Try it and if you were not fan of aubergines, trust me you will change your mind.

• 500g aubergines about 2 medium aubergines
• 1 cup mozzarela cut in cubes
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese freshly grated
• 3 cups tomato puree
• 2 tbsp dry basil or a fresh bunch chopped coarsely
• 1 medium onion finely diced
• 3 tbsp olive oil divided
• salt to taste

Slice the aubergines (medium thickness) removing the top and bottoms. Sprinkle them lightly with salt and set them aside for 1 hour. This drains out any excess water and helps with frying/oven grilling. Rinse the aubergines under cold water to remove the salt and pat them dry with a kitchen towel. I will not fry the aubergines, instead i will grill in the oven after drizzling on top 2 tbsp of olive oil. The taste won’t change, it is just a healthier recipe!

Meantime to prepare the tomato sauce, sauté the onion in a pan with one tbsp of olive oil until translucent and soft but not browned. Add the tomato puree and basil. Add a pinch of salt, stir then let it simmer gently for 10-15 minutes. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Spoon a small amount of tomato sauce into the bottom of a baking dish and spread it around, this will prevent the aubergines from sticking. Next,  add one layer of aubergines to the dish followed by a sprinkle of parmesan cheese, cubes of mozzarella, and little tomato sauce (make sure to save 1/3 of the sauce for the final layer). Continue with the next layer until you have the last top layer to spoon over the remaining tomato sauce, grated parmesan and mozzarella cubes. Cover loosely with foil and bake for 15 minutes, remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes until golden and bubbling.

Let it rest for 5 minutes before serving.

You can serve it with toasted bread or a green salad, and why not both 🙂

If you’ve tried this or any other recipe on the blog please let me know the result, I love hearing from you!

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