Parmigiana di Melanzane

Ingredients:

Quattro melanzane medie (4 medium size eggplants / aubergines)

Sei tazze di salsa di pomodoro (6 cups of tomato sauce)

Una manciata di basilico (a handful of basil)

Due tazze di Parmigiano grattugiato (2 cups of grated parmesan cheese)

Due mozzarelle (2 mozzarella cheeses)

Olio per friggere (oil for frying)

Sale (salt)

Preparation:

Slice the eggplants about 1 cm thick, spread them out on a tray in a single layer, and sprinkle them with salt to remove any bitterness. Leave them for about 1 hour, then rinse them and dry them thoroughly. In a big frying pan heat plenty of oil, fry the eggplants until they have a dark, golden color on both sides, then put them on some kitchen paper to remove the excess oil. In the meantime chop the mozzarella into small cubes, and rinse, dry and chop the basil. In a large baking dish (a Lasagna dish for example), pour a few tablespoons of tomato sauce, enough to cover the bottom. Make a layer of the fried eggplant slices, cover them with some more tomato sauce, plenty of chopped mozzarella, some basil, and 2 tablespoons of Parmigiano cheese. Repeat the layers making sure to finish off with plenty of Parmigiano to give it a nice golden crust when baked. Put the dish in a hot oven, 200 degrees C, or 400 degrees F, Gas Mark 6, for about 40 minutes.

You can also make this recipe with zucchini / courgettes, in which case it is called parmigiana di zucchini, and with carciofi (globe artichokes) which is called parmigiana di carciofi.

Hope you enjoy !