PARMIGIANA (EGGPLANT PARMESAN)
INGREDIENTS:
2.2 lbs eggplants
5.5 cups tomato sauce (strained tomatoes)
10.5 oz mozzarella (use vegan mozzarella for a vegan version)
1/2 onion (about 1/2 cup if chopped)
3.5 oz Parmesan cheese (or nutritional yeast for vegan version)
Basil (to taste)
4 cups frying oil (vegetable oil or another oil of your choice)
Extra virgin olive oil (to taste, usually 3 tablespoons)
Salt (to taste)
Pepper (to taste)
2 cups flour (rice flour for a gluten-free version)
INSTRUCTIONS:
Slice the eggplants into about 1/4 inch thick slices. You can slice them lengthwise, as shown in the photo, or into rounds. Place them in a colander with a pinch of salt and let them rest for about an hour. This step will help draw out as much water as possible from the eggplants, so they won't absorb too much oil during frying, keeping the parmigiana light.
While the eggplant slices are resting with the salt, let's prepare the other ingredients, starting by slicing the mozzarella (and I know you want to use some random cheese, but no, mozzarella is something entirely different!). Set it aside so it can release any excess water. Then, let's move on to making a good sauce. Finely chop an onion and throw it in a pan with three tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and a clove of garlic (just one 😂). Sauté for a minute, remove the garlic, and then add the strained tomatoes (make sure it’s not pre-made sauce—this completely changes the flavor of the recipe because, believe me, the ready-made sauces they sell in supermarkets are not real Italian sauces). Add half a glass of water to thin the sauce, add the basil, and let it cook for about 20 minutes on low heat. Once the cooking is done, adjust with salt and pepper and turn off the heat.
As soon as the hour is up, rinse the eggplants very well to remove the salt—make sure to do this, or they’ll end up too salty! Pat the slices dry with paper towels and prepare a plate with plenty of flour. Coat each slice on both sides with flour and heat 1 liter (about 4.2 cups) of vegetable oil in another pan. Once the oil is hot, proceed to fry each slice, and once they’re lightly browned place them on more paper towels to absorb the excess oil.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Assemble the parmigiana while the oven is heating.
In a baking dish, add a ladle of sauce, then a layer of eggplants, more sauce, slices of mozzarella, and plenty of grated Parmesan cheese. Continue layering like this until all the ingredients are used up.
Bake for about 30 minutes, then let it rest for 30 minutes before cutting into it. Enjoy! ( Buon appetito).
P.S. I don't think there will be any leftovers, but if there are it actually tastes even better the next day!
