Melanzane alla Parmigiana is one of the most famous Italian dishes. A recipe shared and disputed as to its origins from north to south: Emilia Romagna, Campania (Parmigiana 'e mulignane) and Sicily (Parmiciana or Patrociane) with some variations of ingredients and methods of composition, but all absolutely fabulous! The name "parmigiana" derives from the Sicilian "parmiciana", which in dialect indicates the stack of wooden slats of the shutters: in fact, think about how the eggplant slices are arranged in a pan and you will notice the similarities.
Preparation
To prepare the Melanzane alla parmigiana, start with the sauce.
Clean and chop the onion, pour it into a pan where you have heated the oil (covering the bottom).Let it fry for a couple of minutes, stirring often to prevent it from burning, then add the tomato puree. Season with salt and add the basil leaves, rinse the container with a little water and pour it into the pan then leave to cook on a low heat for 45-50 minutes.
In the meantime, cut the mozzarella into cubes and move on to the aubergines, wash them and trim them. Slice them lengthwise to obtain 4-5 mm thick slices. Dry them well with absorbent paper. Fry the aubergines in oil already hot at 170°, immersing a few pieces at a time.As soon as they are lightly golden, drain them on a tray with absorbent paper. When there is no more space on the tray, put more absorbent paper and place the other fried aubergines on top.
Finally, move on to the composition: start by pouring a little sauce into a 20x30 cm baking dish. Form the first layer by arranging the aubergine slices, then cover with the tomato sauce.Spread out some mozzarella cubes and sprinkle with grated Parmegiano and flavour with basil leaves.Start again by adding the tomato sauce and the aubergines. Then add the cheeses and the basil leaves. Repeat until you finish the aubergines.Complete with the remaining diced mozzarella and Parmigiano. Cook in a static oven, already hot at 200°, for about 30 minutes. After the cooking time, let it rest for 15-20 minutes before serving your Melanzane alla parmigiana.
The Melanzane alla parmigiana can be stored in the refrigerator covered with cling film for 1-2 days or can be frozen after cooking, perhaps already divided into portions, ready to be defrosted and eaten.
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