Parmigiana di Melanzane
Parmigiana di Melanzane
Eggplant Parmigiana
Forget about the eggplant parm you’ve had on subs at pizza joints or at your grandma’s table in the United States. Italy’s parmigiana di melanzane is lighter, brighter, and only gently fried, so the spongelike eggplant absorbs the flavors of the basil, tomato sauce, and cheese with which it is layered. This version is particularly light, as the eggplant is not floured and the tomato sauce is not cooked in advance. This is a super popular dish in the summer when eggplant is in season and island kitchens are so hot, you just want to throw a tray of something in the oven early in the day and be done with cooking until the next morning. In fact, you can cook this eggplant parm pretty far in advance and it keeps well. Contrary to popular belief, the name parmigiana may not denote a provenance from the northern Italian city of Parma or the inclusion of its eponymous cheese. Two other likely theories: It may be a reference to the word petronciana, another word for eggplant, or to parmiciane, the wooden slats you find on window shutters, which the dish’s layers resemble
Ingredients (7)
Ingredients (7)
Instructions
Parmigiana di Melanzane
Place the eggplant in a colander, sprinkle with salt, then set aside to drain for an hour.
Rinse and pat dry.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Heat 1/2 cup of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
When the oil begins to shimmer, add the eggplant, working in batches so as not to crowd the pan.
Fry the eggplant until golden on both sides, 3 minutes per side. Use the remaining 1/2 cup olive oil for the second batch as needed.
Drain on paper towels and sprinkle both sides with salt.
Spoon some of the crushed tomatoes over the bottom of a large casserole, then top with a layer of eggplant. Add another layer of tomatoes, then a layer of basil leaves. Top the basil with a layer of the scamorza and sprinkle with some caciocavallo.
Repeat until all the ingredients have been used, ending with the caciocavallo.
Cover with aluminum foil and bake until the eggplant is very tender and the cheese has melted, about 25 minutes.
Remove the foil, raise the heat to 400ºF and bake for 5 to 10 minutes more (or broil for 1 minute more) to brown the cheese.
Remove from the oven and set aside to cool for at least 20 minutes before slicing and serving.
Parmigiana di Zucchine (Zucchini Parmigiana)
Wanna switch it up? Give zucchini the parmigiana treatment. Just substitute 6 large zucchini for the eggplant: Cut them lengthwise into 1/8-inch-thick slices, salt them in advance, then pat dry. Fry, assemble, and bake as directed.
Parmigiana di Palette di Fichi d’India (Cactus Pad Parmigiana)
In Ponza, the rare parmigiana di palette di fichi d’india (opposite page) is one of the few examples anywhere in Italy of treating the ubiquitous prickly pear cactus pads (no pales) as food. To make it, poach the pads in salted water until tender, 15 to 20 minutes, then pat dry. Flour, fry, assemble, and bake as directed.
This recipe is part of the Food of the Italian Islands digital cookbook, and is only available once you've purchased the cookbook.
Purchase ($25.00)
