Eggplant Parmesan

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 4 large eggplants
• 500 g tomatoes, pureed
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 handful of basil, fresh
• 300 g Parmesan, freshly grated
• 350 g mozzarella, sliced
• 1 m.-sized onion(s)
• Oil for frying
• Flour for frying
• salt and pepper
• 3 cloves garlic

Instructions

Working time approx. 35 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 50 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour 25 minutes

Italian eggplant casserole, easy

Cut the eggplants into finger-thick slices and sprinkle with a little salt. Then set aside and let them sit for about an hour (be careful: they absorb water, so place them in a suitable container). Then pat dry and coat in flour. Heat the oil in a pan and deep-fry the eggplants, then pat dry with kitchen paper (for an easier option, grill them in a pan instead of deep-frying – but it doesn’t taste as good). Meanwhile, make a salsa with the passata, 1-2 cloves of garlic, onion, basil, and olive oil as follows: In a saucepan, fry the finely chopped onion and the crushed or chopped garlic in olive oil until golden brown, add the tomatoes, and finally season with the finely chopped basil leaves (tip: a few pine nuts add a special flavor). Now grease an ovenproof dish with a little olive oil, finely chop the remaining garlic, and spread some of it on the bottom of the dish. Layer the eggplant on top, spread the salsa on top, top with mozzarella slices, and sprinkle with some Parmesan. Then layer the garlic, eggplant, salsa, mozzarella, and finally the remaining Parmesan. Bake in a preheated oven at 200°C until a golden brown crust forms, about 35-40 minutes. For a special flavor, I add about 100g of grated Pecorino to the final layer along with the Parmesan, which gives it a more intense flavor.