Eggplant Parmigiana (Melanzane Alla Parmigiana)

Parmigiana or Melanzane Alla Parmigiana is one of the world-famous Italian culinary masterpieces.

In a nutshell Parmigiana is made with 3 main ingredients: layers of fried eggplants, tomato sauce, and cheese. Like with most traditional Italian recipes its beauty is in its simplicity.

In some regions it is called Parmigiana Di Melanzane (melanzane means eggplants in Italian) or just Parmigiana. In other regions, especially in the north, the dish is mostly called Melanzane alla Parmigiana.

The name 'Parmigiana' reminds us of a famous cheese, Parmigiano Reggiano, which is why it is often associated with the city of Parma.

But does it really have Northern Italian roots?

Even though Parmigiana is now widespread throughout Italy, its origin is disputed between three contenders: Parma, Naples, and Sicily. 

• The first hypothesis connects the term Parmigiana to one of its ingredients, Parmigiano Reggiano, i.e. Parmesan cheese, originally from the city of Parma (Emilia-Romagna). But it seems that the one with Parmesan is only a later variant of the older recipe which included pecorino cheese. Pecorino was widely used in the regions of southern Italy, while Parmesan only spread in the south of Italy after the Second World War. 
• Then we have the Naples hypothesis, validated because the first written recipe of Parmigiana was found in a Neapolitan cookbook dating back to 1700. However, the recipe features zucchini and not eggplants.
• Finally, the most accredited hypothesis leans towards Sicily. As a matter of fact, the eggplant was first introduced in Italy by the Arabs during the late Middle Ages right in Sicily. Only later it spread to Naples and then to the rest of Italy.
  
  The etymology would be related to the Sicilian word parmiciana, indicating the wooden rods of windows shutters, which can recall the eggplants layers of the dish. If you need further proof of the connection between Sicily and Parmigiana, know that while walking in some popular areas of Palermo it is very common to smell fried eggplants from early in the morning.

The biggest Parmigiana in the world

The biggest Parmigiana in the world was made in Reggio Calabria at the Aubergine Festival in 2010.

The dish weighed a total of 378 kg and was made with 450 kg of eggplant, 40 kg of mozzarella, 180 liters of tomato sauce.

Ingredients For Parmigiana

• Eggplants -  if possible get Italian purple eggplants with elongated shape but classic globe eggplants that are very similar in color and shape will work as well. Another variety to try is Graffiti eggplants, they have interchanging purple and white stripes, they have smaller seeds, thinner skin and they are never bitter!
• Tomato Passata or Sieved Tomatoes - fresh, homemade or canned, all work well. Make sure to cook it enough until it gets creamy and adjust for salt and sugar if as needed.
• Garlic - use whole garlic cloves crushed with a flat knife, this will give the sauce a delicate garlic flavor. You can finely chopped a smaller amount of garlic if you prefer a stronger taste but don’t over do it. As an alternative you can use whole and finely chopped yellow onion. If using whole both garlic and onion should be removed when the sauce is cooked.
• Fresh basil leaves  - add towards the end of cooking to get the most aroma and flavor.
• Parmesan Cheese - quality grated Parmigiano Reggiano is a must.
• Mozzarella Cheese - fresh, well drained from excess liquid mozzarella cheese is a must, however good quality dry Mozzarella cheese (the kind you use for pizza) can be used as well.
• Provolone cheese - adds extra flavor to Parmigiana. In Sicily they use typical Caciocavallo cheese which is somewhat similar to Provolone. Of course you can use only Mozzarella cheese (just double the amount).
• Instead of Provolone you can use Swiss cheese or Emental cheese (the secret I learned from my Italian 86 year-old neighbor).
• Extra virgin olive oil - gives flavor to the sauce.
• Vegetable oil for frying eggplants

How To Make Parmigiana Di Melanzane Step By Step

In the recipe card below you'll find exact measurements of all ingredients and a printable version of this recipe.

The quantities indicated will fill a 11×7 inch (28×20 cm) baking dish. Alternatively you can make 2 smaller ones.

It can serve 4 to 8 people depending if you're using Parmigiana as a main course or as a side dish.

Step 1: Prepare fried eggplants

• Wash, pat dry and cut eggplants lengthwise into ¼ inch (6-7 millimeters) thick slices.
• Preheat vegetable oil in a large frying pan to about 175-180C.
• Fry eggplant slices for about 2-3 minutes on each side. Be careful not to burn them.
• Layer fried eggplants on a paper towel and with a paper towel in between the layers to absorb excess oil.

Prepare the tomato sauce

• In a pan add a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and garlic cloves crushed with a flat knife.
• Let the garlic become fragrant than turn the heat on very low and add tomato passata (sieved tomatoes).
• Also add ½ cup water “washing” the can of tomato passata.
• Let simmer on low heat for 30 minutes.
• Add salt to taste and fresh basil leaves. If the sauce is too dense add a little more water.
• Let simmer for another 5-10 minutes until the sauce becomes of a “creamy consistency” and rich in flavor.

Assemble Parmigiana

• In a large baking dish 11×7 inch (28×20 cm) add a few spoons of tomato sauce spreading it all over the bottom of the pan.
• Add a layer of fried eggplants slightly overlapping, very lightly season with salt.
• Coat with ¼ of all grated Parmesan cheese, then ¼ of a mix of Mozzarella & Provolone cheese.
• Repeat the process until you finish all the ingredients.
• Alternate the position or eggplants with each layer.
• Example: layer one layer of eggplants vertically, next layer horizontal and so on. This will help Parmigiana hold its shape when cut.
• Bake in the preheat oven at 356F (180C) for 30 minutes.

• If the crust starts to brown too fast, cover it with a piece of foil.
• If the crust needs more color, cook parmigiana under the grill for another 5-10 minutes.
• Let cool until warm before serving.

Top Tips

• The tomato sauce must be as dry as possible, so it is better to cook it for a long time and over low heat.
• You might have some leftover tomato sauce with these ingredients. Use 3-4 tablespoon per layer, the sauce should not overwhelm the eggplants.
• Do not fill the casserole till the very top. Leave about ½ inch headspace to prevent overflowing.
• Let Parmigiana cool until warm before cutting. If cut hot Parmigiana will fall apart.
• If you plan to serve Parmigiana as a side dish, feel free to do 3 layers of eggplants instead of 4. This way you can fit in a large baking dish and serve more people.

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