Aubergine Parmigana
A classic Italian dish - luxuriously creamy and decadent. A guaranteed win for any dinner party or date night! We have 2 methods for cooking this - one is slightly more healthy. Aubergines are notorious for absorbing oil as they cook, so the healthy option involves baking in the oven.
Ingredients
- 2 large aubergines, sliced into thin slices about a 5mm thick
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 100g ricotta
- 100g Parmesan, grated
- 150g mozzarella, sliced
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the Tomato sauce
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 red onion, finely chopped
- A good splash olive oil
- 2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 125ml red wine
- 1tsp of Sugar
Method
There are 2 options for cooking your aubergine. First, cut them lengthways into 5mm slices, sprinkle with salt and leave in a colander to drain for half an hour.
a) Healthy Option
Brush the aubergine slices with olive oil on both sides to coat. Heat a griddle pan and cook the aubergines for a couple of minutes on both sides until lightly browned. Set aside while you get on with the tomato sauce.
b) Not-so-healthy-but-more-delicious Option
Pour enough oil into a frying pan to coat the bottom, and put on a high heat. Fry the aubergine slices until golden brown on both sides, working in batches. Put the cooked slices on paper towel to drain while you get on with the tomato sauce.
- Heat a large frying pan. Fry the garlic and onion with a little oil until soft. Add the chopped tomatoes, oregano and wine. Simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the sauce thickens. Make sure to add a pinch of sugar, salt & pepper to enhance the flavour of your tomato sauce!
- Preheat the oven to 220oC
- In a medium-sized roasting tin, spread a little tomato sauce over the bottom of the tin. Add a layer of aubergine slices and spread another layer of tomato sauce on top.
- Spread half the ricotta on the top and sprinkle with Parmesan, salt and pepper. Continue to repeat the layers until all the aubergine is used. Finish with a layer of mozzarella slices topped with a final sprinkle of Parmesan. Bake for 25 minutes.
- Serve the parmigiana hot with your choice of side dish. We love a fresh green salad!