Melanzane alla Parmigiana

Aubergines Parmigiana  - Photo courtesy of acetosa888-Buddha/Flickr

Melanzane alla Parmigiana or Parmigiana di Melanzane (Eggplant or Aubergine Parmesan) is a traditional Italian dish that is famous all over the world.

Many people think it's a recipe from Emilia Romagna, but  the term "parmigiana" has probably very little to do with the city of Parma, according to some sources. The term "Melanzane alla Parmigiana" would usually denote a Parma origin, but it would not explain the fact that this dish is present both in the Neapolitan and the Sicilian traditions, areas in which it is recognized as a traditional southern Italian agricultural food. The term "Parmigiana" denotes a way of cooking rather than a geographical origin.

Origins of Melanzane alla Parmigiana

It is not difficult to trace the origins of Eggplant Parmesan back to the 1800s, when the eggplant, a vegetable introduced in Europe by the Arabs in the late Middle Ages, begins to really be appreciated and used in cooking. Tomatoes,  introduced after the discovery of the Americas, began to be popular in that period as well.

The first historical source where a preparation "to the parmigiana" is  clearly mentioned in the text "The Gallant Cook" by Vincent Corrado, written in 1773. But it was zucchini, parsnips and carrots which were cooked "to the parmigiana", and eggplants are a variant to the recipe. In the book Theoretical and Practical Cuisine by Cavalcanti, written in 1837, we can find the first recipe of the parmigiana of eggplants as we know it today. The term "parmigiana" must probably point out the layered disposition of vegetables, but there's no true consensus on the origin of such meaning.

According to some experts, the term derives from the word "parmigiana", which in Sicily at least, describes the wooden laths that are part of a shutter. That image would convey the idea of cooking vegetables in layers like in Melanzane alla Parmigiana. According to others, it simply means "to cook in the style of Parma", while the texts on cuisine of those times simply tie the concept of "parmigiana" to the use of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.

Aubergines Parmigiana - Some ingredients

Recipe: Melanzane alla Parmigiana

Ingredients:

• 2 eggplants
• 1 bottle of tomato sauce
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1 ball of fresh mozzarella
• grated parmesan cheese
• extra virgin oil
• basil
• salt and sugar

Preparation:

In a pot with a high edge, fry lightly the clove of garlic with a jet of oil, once it becomes bleached start cooking the sauce until it reduces its volume. While it is cooking, add some basil leaves and, if necessary, neutralize the acidity of the sauce with a teaspoon of sugar.

In the meantime, prepare the eggplants. Cut the eggplants tips but don't peel them. Wash them and cut them into slices, but they shouldn't be too thin - just about half centimeter thick - along the longest side. Put the slices in a colander with a pinch of salt and leave them drain. This operation allows for removing the typical acidity from the eggplants and it also prevents them from absorbing too much oil while they are being cooked.

Heat up abundant oil in a frying pan - the amount of oil should be enough to fry. In the meantime, rinse the eggplants and dry them in a cloth. When the oil is warm enough, fry the eggplants. Once fried, let them drain on absorbent paper, so that they loose their oil excess. Finally salt the fried eggplants.

Aubergines Parmigiana - In the tray - Photo courtesy of Camilla - La Pirillinca/Flickr

Get an oven baking-pan and lay a first layer of eggplants. Sprinkle them with the sauce and add some basil leaves. Cut the mozzarella into slices and put them on the sauce. Complete the layer with a generous sprinkle of parmesan cheese. Keep on adding layers to complete the baking-pan in all of its height.

Bake for about 20 minutes and then take to the table after completing the preparation with a last sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.