Name: Aubergine Parmigiana
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: 3-4 tbsp Olive oil; 2 large aubergines ((600g sliced length ways and half a cm thick)); Few pinches of salt; 1/2 tbsp Olive oil; 1 Clove garlic finely chopped; 1 Large onion diced ((150g)); 1 tsp Dried oregano; 690 g jar of Passata; Black pepper; 6 medium tomatoes sliced ((300g)); 30 g Breadcrumbs ((or gluten free breadcrumbs)); 50 g grated parmesan ((or vegetarian parmesan)); 100 g buffalo mozzarella roughly torn; Handful of fresh basil leaves

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Aubergine parmigiana or melanzane parmigiana is one of the best recipes for getting the most out of your aubergines. The thinly sliced and pan fried aubergines are layered with a rich tomato sauce and freshly grated parmesan for a dish that is bursting with Italian flavour. Serve this simple aubergine parmigiana recipe as it is, or pad it out with an extra layer of cooked spaghetti added to the base of the baking dish.

Easy Aubergine Parmigiana

For a rich and satisfying meal, full of flavour and packed full veg, the aubergine parmigiana is a clear winner. Its made by layering the aubergine with an Italian tomato sauce and then topping with sliced tomatoes, breadcrumbs and blobs of mozzarella. As soon as I pulled this incredible Italian bake out of my oven I knew that Aubergine parmigiana with crispy breadcrumbs and melted mozzarella was about to become a new favourite. Having said that, nearly all of my Italian recipes are my favourite - the Italians are just too clever 🙂

This aubergine recipe is also really easy to make, its all in the preparation. To ensure that your parmigiana is full of flavour and not full of water (from the aubergines) its best to fry off the aubergine slices and then allow them to cool and drain before layering up in the baking dish. I promise this is the only part that requires a bit of time and effort. After that its just a case of whipping up a quick tomato sauce, layering all the ingredients, adding a topping and then baking for 20 minutes.

Aubergine parmigiana also doubles up as a fantastic vegetarian lasagna. Just remember to use vegetarian parmesan cheese and for an added indulgence add in a couple of layers of bechamel white sauce. To keep this gluten free check the bechamel sauce for any flour and look for a gluten free alternative (or make your own). And either leave off the breadcrumbs or look for gluten free breadcrumbs.

Why is it called Aubergine Parmigiana?

Aubergine Parmigiana or eggplant parmigiana is the original parmigiana recipe that is said to have been created in southern Italy. However, the precise origins of the dish and how it got its name are widely debated. Many regions across Italy claim to have invented the dish and each produce their own classic and delicious variation of aubergine parmigiana (Melanzane alla parmigiana).

The word parmigiana translates to 'from Parma'. However, most believe that this is not the reasoning behind the name, as the dish is known to be from southern Italy and Parma is in Northern Italy. Some believe that the dish may have originated from Sicily where 'Parmiciana' means slats of wood in the wooden shutters, which could be reminiscent of the overlapping aubergine in this recipe. Another more simple meaning to the name is the use of Parmesan cheese (Parmigiano-reggiano) in the dish.

Ingredients for Aubergine Parmigiana Recipe

To keep this dish as simple as possible I've divided the ingredients up into 3 parts: the aubergine, the sauce, and the toppings. Prepare each part of the recipe in this order.

For pan frying the aubergine:

3-4 tablespoon Olive oil
2 large aubergines (600g) sliced length ways and half a cm thick
Few pinches of salt

For the aubergine parmigiana sauce:

½ tablespoon Olive oil
1 Clove garlic finely chopped
1 Large onion (150g) diced
1 teaspoon Dried oregano
690g jar of Passata

For the topping:

6 medium tomatoes (300g) finely sliced
30g Breadcrumbs (or gluten free breadcrumbs)
50g grated parmesan (or vegetarian parmesan)
100g buffalo mozzarella roughly torn
Handful of fresh basil leaves

How to make Aubergine Parmigiana

Preparing the aubergine:

Place a large pan on a medium heat. Add a tablespoon of oil and allow to heat up. When the oil is hot carefully add the aubergine slices and fry on each side until golden brown. You will need to fry these off in batches as only 3 or 4 slices will fit in the pan at any one time. You can add more oil as required and season each batch with a bit of salt.
After each batch of aubergine has finished cooking carefully remove from the pan and leave to drain on a plate lined with kitchen towel.

Preparing the aubergine parmigiana sauce:

Place a large pan on a medium heat (use same pan from previous step to save on washing up) then add half a tablespoon of oil and the finely chopped garlic. Fry for 10 seconds then add the diced onion and fry until soft. Next add a teaspoon of dried oregano and mix in well.
Pour in a large 690g jar of passata and stir into the cooked onions.
Season with black pepper and allow to simmer for 5 minutes.

Putting together the aubergine parmigiana:

Pre heat the oven to 180 degrees C (fan).
For this next step you will need a medium sized square or rectangular baking dish. I used a 20x24cm rectangular dish.
Begin by placing a layer of cooked aubergine in the based of the dish.
Next add a layer of the tomato sauce and sprinkle over 1-2 tablespoons of grated parmesan, continue to layer like this until all the aubergine, sauce and parmesan has been used.
Finish with a final layer of sliced tomatoes.
Then top with breadcrumbs, parmesan and torn pieces of mozzarella.
Place the baking dish in the centre of the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until the mozzarella has turned golden brown and the sauce is bubbling.
Remove from the oven, top with fresh basil leaves and serve.

What to serve with Aubergine Parmigiana?

The the best thing to serve with aubergine parmigiana is a big bowl of spaghetti in a tomato sauce. If you have the time, make the spaghetti in tomato sauce first and then use a slightly deeper baking dish in order to add the spaghetti to the dish before layering on the aubergine and other ingredients. The whole lot can then be baked and served together. Delicious!!

This lovely bake can also be served with a simple salad or for a bit of protein add a layer of sliced chicken to the bake. For a proper chicken parmigiana, coat the chicken in flour, egg and breadcrumbs first.

Can you freeze Aubergine Parmigiana?

For best results freeze the aubergine parmigiana without baking it. Once the parmigiana is layered up in an oven proof dish, allow to fully cool then seal with a lid or cling film and place in the freezer. When ready to eat remove from the freezer and defrost fully then bake at 180 degrees (fan) for 30 minutes or until piping hot throughout.

Can I prepare aubergine Parmigiana in advance?

If preparing in advanced once you have made up the parmigiana in the baking dish it can be placed in the fridge until you are ready to bake it. As the dish will now be chilled, add an extra 10 minutes to the baking time.

What else can you do with Aubergines?

One of the most simple and satisfying recipes for aubergine is this Simon Hopkinson grilled aubergine and feta cheese recipe. I love to serve this as starter at a dinner party. To make this delicious starter you will need one aubergine per person. Start by scoring the skin with a knife in four places along the length of the aubergine then rub oil all over the skin. Then place on a baking tray and bake at 180 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until the skin is charred. Cool and then peel off the skin (the scoring should help with this). With the stem still in place slice the peeled aubergine in half with the top end held together by the stem. Lay the aubergine flat on a small plate with the two halves next to each other. In a small dish mix together olive oil, chopped parsley and chopped garlic then drizzle over the aubergine. Finally crumble over some feta cheese and serve.

I also love to use aubergine to make my meat and leek pies with aubergine pastry - These are proper Italian pies!