Le Nostre Melanzane alla Parmigiana 🌞

[justaprogressive]

(Our Baked Eggplant Parmigiana)

Sunflower or vegetable oil for frying
4 medium to large eggplants cut lenghthwise
into 1/3 inch-thick slices
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3 cups tomato sauce
Sweet butter
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Heat 1/2 inch Sunflower mor vegetable oil in a large frying pan and fry the eggplsnt in
batches until golden brown adding extra oil as needed. Drain the cooked eggplant
on paper towels and let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

Season the eggplant to tsste with salt and pepper

Ladle a small amount of tomato sauce on the bottom of a 9x12 shallow baking dish Line the dish with a layer of
eggplant slices, dot with small pieces of butter, sprinkle a little basil and Parmesan cheese on top. Repeat
the same sequence of ingredients, making two more layers. Spoon the remaining sauce over the top and
sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

And the sauce:

5lbs ripe (Roma) tomatos with stem ends removed, coarsely chopped.
1 large onion chopped
1/2 dup freshly chopped basil leaves, plus 6 whole fresh basil leaves.
Salt
1/2 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon sugar
Freshly ground pepper

Stir the tomatoes onion and chopped basil together in a large pot.
Season to taste with salt.
Cook over medium heat for about 15 minutes, stirring often.

A few cups at a time pass the mixture through a food mill.
Return the sauce to a clean pot, with the olive oil, basil leaves, sugar and
salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for 39 minutes stirring occasionally.

from "La Cucina Siciliana di Gangivecheccio" (Gangivecchio's Sicilian Kitchen)

https://www.abebooks.com/9780679425106/Cucina-Siciliana-Gangivecchio-Gangivecchios-Sicilian-0679425101/plp

I can only eat eggplant occasionally as it's one of the nightshade family...

[Ilsa]

1. I had heard that sliced eggplant should be

soaked in salty water to cause excretion of bitterness in it. Are there some varieties of eggplant that have no innate bitterness?

[justaprogressive]

2. My understanding is that a bitter eggplant

is an old eggplant. Out of season in a supermarket especially makes this more likely.

Eggplant is just now coming into season!

So in addition to salty water, you can:
Remove the seeds, or alternately,
you can soak it in milk for 30 minutes before cooking.

[Ilsa]

3. Thank you! Great information. nt

[elleng]

4. THANKS! Was a favorite, when a kid!

Last edited Mon Jul 7, 2025, 05:22 PM - Edit history (1)

(I think my mother liked and made it often, so after she passed, it remained a favorite. I'd like to return to it.)

[justaprogressive]

5. This is the restaurant

that Peter Gethers and Norton, stayed and ate at...then persuaded them to write a cookbook....

Norton:

[elleng]

6. OH NO, AAAAHHHH CHOOOOO!!!!

[justaprogressive]

7. heh.