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- Cuisine: Italian
- Prep Time: 1 hr(s) 30 min(s)
- Cook Time: 1 hr(s)
- Serves 6
Parmigiana contains eggplants or zucchini and it is a late summer and autumn recipe. This is how my family has always cooked Parmigiana. It is how my mother, her mother and perhaps her mother before her cooked it, and it represents generations of preparing and eating Parmigiana in Sicilian kitchens. The recipe has explanations about origins of the recipe - I have seen too many inauthentic versions of this recipe and I would like to provide a traditional one.
My recipes are detailed because I believe that giving the background of the recipe to readers makes it more interesting and more memorable.
A parmigiana made with eggplants or with zucchini is a very common contorno (vegetable accompaniment) all over Sicily. (See variation below if using zucchini). It was once a seasonal dish of summer and autumn, but now in Sicily eggplants are grown successfully in the numerous serre (greenhouse farms) which have sprouted in most parts of the island and allow the production of summer vegetables well before and after their normal season.
Contrary to expectations it does not contain parmigiano (parmesan cheese) nor does it originate in Parma, the home of parmigiano and the prosciutto di Parma. Pamigiana is an old Sicilian dish, most likely an adaptation and development from the fried eggplant dishes introduced by the settlers from the Middle East (the Persians).
Ingredients
2 large eggplants, peeled and thinly sliced lengthways
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1kg tomatoes, ripe, peeled, seeded and diced (or canned)
2 onions, sliced
1 clove garlic
1 cup fresh basil leaves
Salt and freshly ground pepper
¾ cup pecorino cheese
Preparation
Slice the eggplants (soak in slated water, optional). Pat dry gently and fry the slices of eggplant in several batches until golden brown. Place fried eggplants on paper towels to drain the oil.
For the salsa
Heat a little of the olive oil over a medium flame and sauté the garlic. When the garlic is golden brown remove it and discard. Add the chopped tomato, salt and pepper and some basil leaves and cook until thick.
Heat the oven to 200°C oil in an ovenproof dish and cover the bottom with a thin layer of tomato sauce. Sprinkle with cheese and a few basil leaves. Repeat until all the ingredients are used up and you have 2-3 layers, leaving a little cheese for the topping. Bake for about 20 minutes.
Present at room temperature garnished with basil leaves.
Variations: There are local variations. Many add slices of hard-boiled eggs between the layers. Parmigiana di zucchini: sprinkle thin slices of zucchini with a little salt. Leave them for about 20-30mins. If you do this, it will help to draw out some of the liquid from the eggplants and they will absorb less oil (most eggplants, if fresh, do not have bitter juices). Fry the zucchini in batches and proceed as above.
If you enjoyed this Eggplant or zucchini parmigiana recipe then browse more Italian recipes, vegetarian recipes and our most popular hainanese chicken rice recipe.
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