Eggplant parmagiana

Eggplant parmigiana is a deliciously warm and welcoming dish — full of flavour, and always a crowd-pleaser. The soft eggplant, rich tomato, and melted cheeses come together beautifully and can be served either as a hearty vegetarian main or a delicious accompaniment.

Ingredients

4 medium eggplants

Olive oil to fry eggplant

Sugo

50ml olive oil

2 cloves garlic roughly chopped

700ml passata sauce

1 tin chopped tomatoes

1 tsp sugar

50ml white wine

Salt and pepper

1 cup chopped fresh basil

1 cup grated parmigiano reggiano

Fresh buffalo mozzarella for the top

Small fresh basil leaves

Method

To make the sugo:
Heat olive oil in a heavy pan, add garlic, then add the tomatoes before the garlic browns. Stir in the sugar, white wine, and seasoning. Simmer for about 20 minutes, then add chopped basil and remove from the heat.

Eggplant and assembly:
Slice the eggplant into thick rounds and salt both sides to draw out bitterness. Pat each slice dry with kitchen paper. Heat oil in a non-stick pan and fry the eggplant on both sides, adding more oil as needed — it absorbs a lot.

Spread a thin layer of sugo in the base of a deep lasagne dish, sprinkle with parmesan, and add a layer of fried eggplant. Repeat with sauce, parmesan, and eggplant until everything is used. Finish with sugo and parmesan on top.

If baking and serving immediately:
Cover with foil and bake at 180°C for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 20 minutes. Take out of the oven, tear fresh mozzarella over the top, and return to bake for 15 minutes. Rest for 20 minutes, then scatter with small basil leaves and serve.

If baking ahead and finishing the next day:
Bake the assembled dish once (covered) for 45 minutes at 180°C, then refrigerate.
When ready to serve, bring it to room temperature for a couple of hours. Bake uncovered at 180°C for 20 minutes, add fresh mozzarella, bake for another 15 minutes, rest for 20 minutes, scatter with basil, and serve.