Slices of roasted aubergines, layered with a tomato sauce and cheese.
«Melanzane alla Parmigiana» sounds like a specialty from Parma, however this tasty concoction is typical of the Italian south and owes its name solely to the fact that it is made with Parmesan cheese. In this version the aubergines are baked rather than deep fried (as in the original recipe) for less mess, less fat, and more health.
vegetable oil spray | |||
2 | eggs size large | ||
2 tbsp | water | 30 mL | |
1 cup | bread crumbs | 140 g | |
2 | aubergines / eggplants, large size | 900 g | |
1/2 | onions | 100 g | |
1 clove | garlic | ||
1 tbsp | olive oil | 15 mL | |
2 cups | Fresh Tomato Base | 500 mL | |
1 1/3 cup | Parmesan cheese, grated | 70 g | |
4 | bocconcini / fresh mozzarella | 220 g | |
1 pinch | salt [optional] | 0.2 g | |
ground pepper to taste [optional] | |||
6 leaves | fresh basil | 3 g |
The Tomato Base may be replaced by store-bought strained tomatoes.
Bake the aubergines
Make the sauce
Assemble and bake
per 1 serving (260 g)
Amount % Daily Value |
Calories 490 |
Fat 23 g 36 % |
Saturated
11.9 g
62 % |
Cholesterol 140 mg |
Sodium 1070 mg 45 % |
Carbohydrate 47 g 16 % |
Fibre 9 g 38 % |
Sugars 15 g |
Net Carbs 38 g |
Protein 27 g |
Vitamin A 125 % |
Vitamin C 80 % |
Calcium 45 % |
Iron 24 % |
Food Group | Exchanges |
---|---|
Starches | 1 ½ |
Vegetables | 3 |
Meat and Alternatives | 2 ½ |
Fats | 3 ½ |
Very good! I really like that this recipe suggests baking the breaded eggplant (much healthier!) as opposed to frying it, which is the way it is most commonly done. The compromise to the taste was negligible. Be sure to slice the eggplant no greater than 1cm in thickness, or better still, thinly, as I tried it thicker for a change, as the recipe suggested, and found it slightly chunky. Also, I think just a plain and less time consuming tomato sauce with basil, onion, and garlic is better for this recipe as it already has a lot of texture and body. No need for the carrots and celery. Lastly, in terms of the cheese, I used grated mozzarella (around 2-3 cups) mostly and filled in the gaps with a sprinkling of parmesan here and there. This too is the traditional method of doing it I do believe. Maybe I'll try it with bocconcini next time, but I'm not so convinced I'll be converted.