Eggplant Parmigiana

Lasagna without the food coma and less cooking time - sign us up!

Eggplant parmigiana is not only a healthier alternative to lasagna but also requires half as much the effort. We do ours in an authentic Italian-style and roast the eggplant slices rather than frying and breading them (very American style). It's easy and let's face the facts - eggplant, tangy tomato, fresh basil and melted cheese is a combo sent from heaven.

Ingredients

• Tomato puree / tomato pelati (whole-peeled) can - 1 of each or 2 x 400mL cans

• Onion - 1 piece, chopped

• Garlic - 2 cloves, thin slices

• Bay leaves - 2 leaves

• Fresh basil

• Dried oregano

• Dried thyme

• White wine (optional)

• Eggplant - 2 pieces

• Fresh mozzarella - 2 balls, sliced

• Parmesan - grated

• Olive oil

• Salt

• Pepper

Step-by-Step

1. Preheat the oven at 200℃

2. Slice eggplant into thin, even slices, brush both sides of each slice with olive oil, lay them out on 2 separate baking trays lined with baking paper and sprinkle them with salt and a good grind of pepper. Place the eggplant in the oven for approx 20 minutes and flip trays midway.

3. Heat olive oil in a large sauce pan on medium heat and add onion, garlic & bay leaves with a sprinkle of salt. Cook for a few minutes until onions become translucent. It's okay if they brown a bit as it brings out more flavour.

4. Add tomato puree and whole-peeled tomatoes to the saucepan and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to low and bring tomato sauce to a simmer.

5. Add a splash of wine, a sprig of basil and a dash of dried oregano & thyme to the sauce and continue to let simmer for at least 15-20 minutes.

6. While sauce is cooking and eggplant is in the oven, slice the mozzarella and pat them dry with a paper towel to remove excess water.

7. When eggplant and tomato sauce is ready, you can begin assembling the eggplant parmigiana. Use a baking dish (or 2 if you want to serve personal portions straight from the dish) and begin layering. Start with a layer of sauce to prevent the eggplant from drying up, then add eggplant slices, then mozzarella slice, then a few basil leaves and continue layering up. When you reach the final layer, sprinkle the top with lots of grated parmesan. You can also save a few basil leaves to place on top when the eggplant aubergine is out of the oven.

8. When you are finished assembling, place the dish in the oven for approximately 20-30 minutes. You'll know when it's ready when the cheese on the top begins to brown.

9. Once ready, remove from the oven, let it sit for at least 5 minutes and then you are ready to eat! Be sure to blow on each bite as we've burned our tongues numerous times by being impatient.

Tips

- Roast eggplant before assembling the full dish to remove excess water

- Use a brush to apply olive oil to the eggplant slices to avoid making them soggy

- Pat the fresh mozzarella slices dry with a paper towel to also remove excess water

- You can create the same dish with zucchini, which we'll be attempting soon!