Italian-Vogue Eggplant Parmesan (Melanzane alla Parmigiana) Recipe

Having grown up in an Italian neighborhood in Brooklyn, support when children peaceable played stickball within the streets and broken-down females spent their days staring at the automobiles tear by while resting on pillows within the windowsill, I in reality fetch a soft set up for Italian-American dishes. That involves the stateside version of eggplant parm, which is made with breaded and fried slices of eggplant. Kenji’s already carried out a beautiful exhaustive and succesful recipe for that sort of the dish. That is a factual thing, at least for me, on fable of I in reality fetch a vivid softer set up, and it is for the Italian sort of eggplant parm, which is breading-free.

Finally, even interior Italy, there are different diversifications of this dish (I’ve viewed one with Swiss cheese!), but I’m wedded to the one I learned while residing and engaged on a farm several years ago. The farm, known as Cascina Piola, is in Piedmont, Italy, the northwestern set up of dwelling that’s clearly no longer the birthplace of this very southern Italian dish. But Raffaella, who taught me this capability and runs the farm with her husband, Piero, is within the origin from Naples, and therefore has what I would possibly per chance well presumably take into fable a correct away line on luminous what’s up with eggplant parm.

What I love about her version is it is all about the marvel of the fried eggplant, tomato sauce, and mozzarella, and their soft, melting textures. Where the American one has a breaded heft that soaks up the sauce, this one is juicier and smoother the total capability by.

As soon as these fetch browned, I transfer them to paper towels to drain them of extra oil. (I susceptible two forms of eggplant here, a combination of the in model crimson Italian diversity and a variegated one, with a mixed gentle-crimson and white skin. Be at liberty to experiment with varieties, or succesful stick with the classic.)

A dinky torn unique oregano on every layer beneath no cases distress something else. Basil would work well, too.

Some will show conceal at this level that there is no Parmigiano-Reggiano in my eggplant parm. Quite loads of recipes, including Italian ones, demand it in this dish, but I take into fable it non-compulsory. First, since the name “eggplant Parmigiana” has nothing to identify with the metropolis of Parma (and presumably nothing to identify with the famed extinct cheese made there). As Kenji outlined in his eggplant parm article, the origins of the name are dark, but even if the steady etymology is unresolved, there is no motive to fabricate that the dish requires Parmesan succesful resulting from its name.

Anyway, I love Parmigiano-Reggiano loads (like, loads, loads), but in reality that every body the issues that I love about this version of the dish—the silky, candy eggplant; the fruity tomato sauce; the aromatic herbs; the milky unique mozzarella—fetch dinky or no to identify with the salty, extinct flavor of Parmesan. I extra or less retract how clear and candy and unique this tastes without the grated cheese. Mute, whenever you occur to would possibly per chance well well be trying to fetch it, in reality feel free to add it to every layer. It is no longer going to be immoral, that’s clearly.

After that, it is succesful a matter of repeating until your substances are susceptible up and the baking dish is corpulent.

Right here is a aspect take into fable. Yum.

I tear away the herbs off the head layer, since they’re more in all probability to burn within the sizzling oven.

As soon as it is baked, which takes about 20 minutes at 400°F (200°C), I set up some unique herbs on top.

This would possibly per chance occasionally within the origin gaze very wet when it comes out of the oven. But don’t fret: Give it 10 minutes to leisure, and nearly about all of those extra juices will be reabsorbed by the eggplant.

August 2014

• Olive oil, vegetable oil, or a aggregate, for frying

• 2 kilos (0.9kg) eggplant, sliced 1/4 inch thick

• Kosher salt

• 1 1/4 cups (360ml) tomato sauce (imprint notes)

• 3/4 pound shredded unique mozzarella (12 ounces; 340g)

• Torn unique oregano leaves, from about 4 sprigs

1. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Absorb a huge forged-iron skillet with 1/2 inch oil and warmth over excessive warmth until lustrous. Working in batches, fry eggplant slices, turning, until browned on every facets, about 5 minutes. Switch fried eggplant to a paper towel–lined half of sheet pan and sprinkle with salt. Repeat with closing eggplant, topping up oil as wanted.

2. In a 6-cup baking dish, arrange a layer of eggplant slices. High with a thin layer of tomato sauce, adopted by shredded mozzarella and oregano leaves. Continue layering eggplant, sauce, cheese, and herbs to maintain baking dish. Bear no longer add oregano to the head layer.

3. Bake eggplant Parmesan until effervescent and browned on top, about 20 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes to reabsorb juices. Sprinkle with oregano leaves and again.

Particular Equipment

6-cup (8- by 6-inch) baking dish, 10-inch forged-iron skillet, half of sheet pan

Notes

The tomato sauce here would possibly per chance well moreover simply even be as easy as puréed canned tomatoes with a contact of olive oil and salt, or a extra eager sauce, equivalent to this one made of unique tomatoes. It needs to be seasoned with salt in all cases.