The eggplant is salted, fried (never grilled) and dried on racks, and the fior di latte is drained well ahead: this version is built around keeping water out, which is what separates a parmigiana that slices cleanly from one that slumps. The top layer is sauce and Parmigiano only, so nothing burns before the middle sets.
Make ahead It slices even more cleanly the next day; serve it warm or at room temperature, as Neapolitans often do.
Parmigiana di Melanzane
Total 3 hr 20 min · Prep 1 hr · Cook 1 hr 20 min · Serves 6
Method
Salt the eggplant slices in a colander, weighted, for 45 minutes to draw their bitter water. Rinse briefly and dry completely.
Salt the eggplant slices in the colander before weighting them and leaving them to drain. Meanwhile make the sauce: soften the onion in olive oil, add the tomatoes crushed by hand, salt, and simmer 25 minutes; finish with half the basil.
Fry the eggplant in batches in 170 C oil until deep gold on both sides; drain on racks, not paper, so they stay crisp.
In an oiled deep dish: a veil of sauce, a shutter of eggplant, sauce, fior di latte, Parmigiano, torn basil. Repeat for 3 to 4 layers.
Finish with sauce and a confident snow of Parmigiano only (no mozzarella on top; it burns before the inside sets).
Bake at 180 C until bubbling at the edges with a bronzed roof, 35 to 40 minutes.
Rest at least 1 hour. Slice in squares that stand up straight and serve warm, not hot.
Equipment
Baking DishDeep enough for 3 to 4 layers plus a bubbling margin.2 options
Deep Frying Pan
ColanderWeight the salted slices so they give up their bitter water.
Cooling RackRacks, not paper, keep the fried slices crisp.
Kitchen Thermometer · Optional
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Estimated per serving
- Calories
- 682 kcal
- Protein
- 26.3 g
- Carbohydrates
- 13.3 g
- Fat
- 56.6 g
- Fiber
- 9.1 g
Per serving · 1/6 of the recipe Ingredient-based estimate; brands and preparation change the result. Frying estimate includes 150.2g absorbed oil for the whole dish, using a published salt-treated eggplant reference. Cut size, salting and frying temperature change uptake; sodium is omitted.
Nutrition sources: CREA Centro di ricerca Alimenti e Nutrizione · USDA Agricultural Research Service · Consorzio Parmigiano Reggiano
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