Aubergine Parmigiana Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What do you eat with aubergine parmigiana? ›

From classics such garlic bread and bruschetta, to healthier options such as sauteed spinach and roasted brussel sprouts, there are so many options for what to serve with Eggplant Parmesan.

1. Salt the Eggplant to Remove Excess Moisture. This is key to crispy results. Eggplants are 92% water.

Parmigiana, known as Parmigiana di Melanzane or Melanzane alla Parmigiana, is a classic Italian dish made with thinly sliced, floured and fried eggplant layered with tomato sauce and cheese and baked in the oven. Parmigiana made with a filling of eggplant is the earliest and still unique Italian version.

Do you have to peel eggplant before you cook it? The peel of an eggplant is completely edible. However, as the eggplant grows bigger and matures, the peel may become tough and bitter. People often prefer to peel larger eggplants because of this, but smaller eggplants do just fine unpeeled.

Modern eggplant has had bitterness nearly bred out of it, so many cooks have given up the practice. Salting the slices for eggplant Parmesan is not to prevent bitter flavors, but to season the eggplant itself and, at least in my experience, keep the eggplant from sucking up too much of the olive oil from frying.

Manuela Zangara serves up her aubergine parmigiana recipe, a super-simple comfort food recipe built from layers of aubergine, passata, Parmesan and mozzarella. If cooking for vegetarians, swap the Parmesan for a similar hard cheese made using vegetable-based rennet.

Which One is for You? Eggplant parmesan tends to be lighter on the stomach and is considered to be more healthy. Eggplant is also less expensive. Restaurants find that it is a much cheaper option for guests.

Parmesan Cheese in Italy

In the European Union, “parmesan” is accepted as a translation of Parmigiano-Reggiano. Within these countries, the two terms refer to the same cheese.

Eggplant Parmigiana (V) | Lunch & Dinner Menu | Olive Garden Italian Restaurant.

What part of Italy is Eggplant Parmigiana from? ›

A common mistake that leads to this mushy mess is using too much oil. Of course, you want to fry the slices, but they do not need to be deep fried. You want them to have a crispness that will stand up the other soggy components, the melted cheese, and the tomato sauce.

Soak eggplant slices or cubes in milk for about 30 minutes before cooking. The milk not only tempers the bitterness, but it actually makes for eggplant that is extra creamy, since the vegetable acts like a sponge and soaks up a good amount of milk in its flesh.

Heat 1/4 inch of grapeseed oil in a nonstick skillet over medium until hot enough for frying. The ideal temperature for frying eggplant is about 365-375 degrees F.

Older recipes call for salting eggplant to draw out the bitter juices, but today's eggplants are less bitter (unless very large), so salting is largely unnecessary. It will, however, help the spongy flesh absorb less oil and crisp up like a dream.

Aubergine Parmigiana (Melanzane alla Parmigiana)

By layering them with Parmesan and tomatoes and then baking them you get an absolutely moreish, scrumptious vegetable dish. Great served with all sorts of roasted meats and with roasted fish as well.

You might know them as eggplants or you might know them as aubergines, but they are exactly the same plant. The English prefer the latter name, while in North America we use the former.

Italian Eggplant

These large dark purple eggplants are a bit smaller than globe eggplants and often have a teardrop shape. They tend to have a sweeter flavor than globe eggplant.

The strong flavors in Parm compliment garden herbs, which can be tossed with fresh lemon juice, olive oil and sea salt for a simple salad. Try mixing fresh greens with fistfuls of basil, chives, thyme, parsley, and nasturtiums. Before dinner: sparkling wine.

The fiber, potassium, vitamin C, vitamin B-6, and antioxidants in eggplants all support heart health. A review published in 2019 suggested that eating foods containing certain flavonoids, including anthocyanins, helps reduce inflammatory markers that increase the risk of heart disease.

What wine pairs well with eggplant parmesan? ›

The ideal wine may be of no surprise but eggplant parmesan is best matched with a Tuscan red wine such as Chianti or Brunello. If you're feeling adventurous, you can try the wild and lighter reds from the Jura in France.

The deep purple skin of the eggplant provides a good dose of anthocyanins, a plant pigment that protects brain cells against cellular damage. High in fiber and rich in folate, eggplant is part of the Nightshade family of fruits.