Melanzane alla Parmigiana - Eggplant Parmigiana
By: Orsola CK
Published: Friday, December 11, 2009 - 10:54pm

Ingredients




40 ounces Tomato puree
1 tablespoon Tomato paste
1 tablespoon Parsley, chopped [not in Naples]
1/2 teaspoon Sweet Basil, ground
1/2 teaspoon Oregano, ground 
2 Garlic cloves, just crushed
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 lrg Aubergine
Salt as needed
1 cup Flour
3 Eggs, beaten
2 cups (*) Bread crumbs [not in Naples]
3/4 cup Olive Oil
8 ounces Fiordilatte Mozzarella Cheese, shredde
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Preparation

1 Combine first eight (?) ingredients and heat over medium heat for about 20 minutes. Be careful, not to scorch. Reserve. 2 Place 1/2" sliced aubergine on rack; sprinkle lightly with salt. Let stand for about 20 minutes to remove the bitterness. Rinse each slice and pat dry. Coat each slice with flour; dip in egg; (*)then coat lightly with bread crumbs.
 
(*) PLEASE NOTE: NO bread crumbs in the original recipe from Naples. Doesn't add anything special except extra-calories. 3 Heat oil in heavy skillet (oil should be 1/2" deep). When oil is hot, add aubergine slices. Heat 2 minutes on each side or until soft and golden. 4 Reserve slices on paper toweling to absorb excess oil. Place about 1/2" reserved tomato sauce over bottom of baking dish sprayed with cooking spray. Place aubergine in layers in dish; sprinkle each layer with cheeses, alternate layers until all ingredients are used, reserving a little of each cheese for top. Cover lightly with remaining sauce and reserved cheeses. 5 Bake at 325F. for 30 minutes.

About


Very interesting:
~ La cucina Napoletana" by Jeanne Carola Francesconi, it's the best book for traditional Neapolitan recipes.
~ A History of Eggplant Parmesan by Clifford A. Wright
http://www.cliffordawright.com/caw/food/entries/display.php/topic_id/4/id/109/