Eggplant Parmigiana

• porties: Serves 2

Ingrediënten

Layers of aubergine, Parmesan, mozzarella and sweet tomato sauce come together to create the ultimate comfort food!

1 medium aubergine

125g fresh mozzarella

50g Parmesan

400g MUTTI peeled plum tomatoes and 1 heaped tbsp of tomato puree

1 small shallot

1 garlic clove

2 sprigs fresh basil

Fine sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Extra virgin olive oil

Instructies

Finely chop the shallot and garlic. Heat a little olive oil in a saucepan over a medium heat and cook the shallot for a few minutes until soft. Add the garlic and a good pinch of salt, then cook for another minute. Pour in the tomato puree and cook for a few minutes before adding the crushed tinned plum tomatoes. Season with freshly ground black pepper and let the sauce simmer until it reduces and thickens well. Turn the heat off and tear in the fresh basil leaves.

While the sauce cooks, squeeze and drain the mozzarella to remove any excess liquid, then tear or slice it into pieces. Finely grate the Parmesan.

Slice the aubergine into 1⁄2 cm thick rounds and lay them out on a chopping board. Brush them lightly with extra virgin olive oil and season well with fine sea salt. Heat a large frying pan over a medium heat. Fry the aubergine slices in batches until golden and fully cooked, turning once during cooking. Remove from the pan and set aside on a plate.

Spoon a small layer of tomato sauce into the base of a small baking or ceramic dish. Add a layer of aubergine, followed by some mozzarella, a little grated Parmesan and a few spoonfuls of tomato sauce. Repeat the layers until all the ingredients are used or you did at least 3 layers, finishing with tomato sauce, a bit of mozzarella and a generous sprinkle of Parmesan on top.

Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C fan for about 30-35 minutes, until bubbling and golden on top. Leave to rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Notities

This version is a little lighter than the traditional recipe, where each slice of aubergine is usually breadcrumbed and deep-fried before the dish is assembled. Instead I simply grill them, which is a great way to reduce the cooking time in the kitchen and makes it a little healthier but without compromising on flavour.

The key to this recipe is using peeled plum tomatoes and tomato puree, then slowly cooking and reducing them to create a rich, sweet tomato sauce. As soon as the Parmigiana comes out of the oven, let it rest for at least 15 minutes before serving. This helps the layers set, making it much easier to cut and plate.