Parmigiana di melanzane
Southern Italy's aubergine bake: fried aubergine layered with tomato sauce, basil, mozzarella and Parmigiano, baked until bubbling.
Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen.
- Prep
- 45 min
- Cook
- 1 hr 15 min
- Rest
- 1 hr
- Total
- 3 hr
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Spice
- No chilli
- Cost
- Weeknight budget$8–16 USD · indicative, not a store price
About
Parmigiana di melanzane is aubergine, not chicken: slices fried until golden, layered with a simple tomato and basil sauce, mozzarella and plenty of Parmigiano, then baked until the top is browned and the layers have settled together. There is no breadcrumb coating, no béchamel and no pasta. Salt the aubergine slices and let them drain so they absorb less oil and lose their bitterness. Fry them in hot oil until deep gold, then blot them well. Keep the sauce thick, or the bake turns watery. Rest it after baking, ideally for an hour, so it slices cleanly; it is even better the next day at room temperature. Done is a deep, glossy bake where each layer of aubergine is soft and rich with sauce and cheese.
What you'll need
9 ingredients. Tap each one once it's out on the bench.
- Ingredients
- Sauce
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Eggplant, about 4, sliced lengthways 5 mm thick1½ kg
- Salt, coarse, for salting the slices30 ml
- Neutral oil, for frying750 ml
- Mozzarella, fior di latte, sliced and drained400 g
- Parmigiano Reggiano, grated120 g
Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.
Steps
Step 1
Layer the aubergine slices in a colander with coarse salt, weigh them down and leave 1 hour. Rinse quickly and pat completely dry.
60 min
Step 2
Make the sauce: soften the onion in the olive oil, add the passata and a pinch of salt and simmer until thick, about 25 minutes. Tear in half the basil.
30 min
Step 3
Fry the aubergine in hot oil in batches until deep golden on both sides. Drain well on paper.
30 min
Step 4
Heat the oven to 180°C. Spread a little sauce in a baking dish, then layer aubergine, sauce, mozzarella, basil and Parmigiano. Repeat, ending with sauce and Parmigiano.
15 min180°C
Step 5
Bake until bubbling and browned on top, about 40 minutes. Rest at least 30 minutes, better an hour, before cutting.
40 min180°C
Nutrition
Per serving · estimate
- Calories
- 726 kcal
- Protein
- 31.4 g
- Carbs
- 34.9 g
- Fat
- 53 g
- Saturated fat
- 20.1 g
- Fibre
- 10.2 g
- Sugar
- 13 g
- Sodium
- 2729 mg
Calculated from canonical ingredient data (USDA FoodData Central averages and equivalent published tables). Estimates only.
Allergens
Informational only. Not a medical guarantee. Cross-contamination happens in real kitchens.
- Milk
- Vegetarian
- Gluten-free
Vegetarian only with a vegetarian Parmigiano Reggiano: the traditional cheese is made with animal rennet.
Adapt this recipe
The original recipe stays as it is. Personal versions are labelled. Serving changes are simple maths.
Adaptations · 0 / 15 used. Resets 10 November.
Substitutions
Frying the aubergine → Grilling the slices
Lighter but less rich and less traditional. Brush with oil first.
Tips
- Squeeze the drained mozzarella in a cloth; wet cheese makes a watery bake.
- It is at its best the next day, at room temperature.
History & culture
Campania and Sicily both claim it, and both eat it as a Sunday dish and in summer when aubergines are best, often at room temperature. Neapolitan versions sometimes dip the slices in flour and egg before frying; Sicilian ones may use caciocavallo or add hard-boiled egg. Abroad, 'parmigiana' came to mean breaded chicken or veal under tomato and cheese, which in Italy is a different thing.
Aubergines reached southern Italy with the Arabs, and layered aubergine dishes appear in Neapolitan cookbooks from the eighteenth century, with tomato joining in the nineteenth. The name is debated: some tie it to Parmigiano cheese, others to the Sicilian 'parmiciana', the overlapping slats of a shutter that the layers resemble.
Traditional — Fried aubergine, tomato, basil, mozzarella and Parmigiano. No breadcrumbs, no béchamel.
Provenance: Editorial adaptation.
Questions about this recipe
Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips.
How long does Parmigiana di melanzane take?
3 hr all in — 45 min prep, 1 hr 15 min cook, 1 hr rest. Cook and rest follow the method. Leftover storage and optional extra waits are not included.
How many does it serve?
The recipe is written for 6 portions. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.
How hard is it?
Medium.
How spicy is it?
No chilli.
What allergens should I watch?
This recipe is labelled for Milk. Labels are informational — check the packets in your kitchen. This is not medical advice.
Does it fit a diet?
The published recipe is labelled Vegetarian, Gluten-free.
7 more questionsFewer questions
What does it cost to cook?
Weeknight budget — about $8–16 USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.
What equipment do I need?
Frying pan, Saucepan, Baking tray.
How much salt do I put in?
The recipe lists Salt at 2 tbsp (coarse, for salting the slices).
What can I use instead?
Frying the aubergine → Grilling the slices. Lighter but less rich and less traditional. Brush with oil first.
Any tips from this recipe?
Squeeze the drained mozzarella in a cloth; wet cheese makes a watery bake. It is at its best the next day, at room temperature.
Can I prepare this ahead?
It is at its best the next day, at room temperature.
Can I use an air fryer?
This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.
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