Recipe
An eggplant parmi recipe that's 😙🤌
Golden, cheesy and layered with rich tomato sauce, this classic eggplant parmigiana is comfort food at its finest.
By Andrew Manfre, Carlo Salanitri and Joe Salanitri
Eggplant parmigiana: the dish that confirms eggplant is one of the woggiest vegetables. It’s got that rich purple skin that’s as Italian as a Vespa, and it soaks up oil as quickly as Zia soaks up gossip. You may never have seen it in your Aussie mate’s kitchen growing up, but throw it on a plate with some mozzarella and parmesan and it’s chef’s kiss.
Serves 4–6
Ingredients to make eggplant parmi recipe
- 2 × 700 g (1 lb 9 oz) bottles passata
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- fresh basil leaves, to taste
- 1 garlic clove, chopped
- 4 large eggplants (aubergines)
- ½–¾ cup (125–185 ml) vegetable oil, for frying
- 1 ½ cups (150 g) grated pecorino or parmesan cheese, plus extra to serve (optional)
- 1/2 cup (65 g) grated mozzarella
How to make eggplant parmi recipe
Preheat the oven to 180˚C (350˚F). Start by preparing the sauce. Combine the passata, salt, pepper, cinnamon, basil and garlic in a frying pan over medium heat and cook for 8–10 minutes, then remove and allow to cool. Cut the eggplants lengthways into 1.5–2 cm (⅝–¾ in) slices.
Add enough vegetable oil to a frying pan to come 5 mm–1 cm (¼–½ in) up the pan, then place over medium heat. Fry the eggplant slices until golden brown, then remove and drain on paper towel. Place a thin layer of sauce in the bottom of a baking dish, then top with a layer of fried eggplant.
Cover with a layer of sauce and sprinkle a layer of pecorino on top. Top this with a small layer of mozzarella. Repeat until you have used all the eggplant, finishing with a layer of sauce topped with pecorino. Bake for 20–25 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and golden brown. Serve with extra pecorino or parmesan and basil, if you like.
Images and text from by Sooshi Mango by Joe Salanitri, Carlo Salanitri and Andrew Manfre, photography by Mark Roper. Murdoch Books RRP $39.99.
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