Parmigiana with an eggplant filling is one of the best versions of this classic Italian dish. It best served straight out of the oven as when you leave it to cool the bocconcini has a tendency to harden, so remember to leave this ingredient out if you plan on serving it at room temperature.
As it’s super easy to make, this parmigiana works perfectly as a dinner or lunchtime dish that is a great vegetarian option to please everyone — even those aren’t eggplant fans!
Ingredients
- olive oil cooking spray
- 4 small eggplant, thinly sliced
- 700g jar Italian tomato pasta sauce
- 1/2 cup basil leaves, chopped
- 140g parmesan cheese, grated
- 180g cherry bocconcini cheese, torn in half
- 1 cup fresh white breadcrumbs
Method
- Preheat oven to 200C. Grease a 5.5cm-deep, 20cm-across baking dish. Heat a grill or chargrill pan on high heat.
- Generously spray eggplants slices with oil on both sides. Grill eggplant for 2 minutes in smaller batches, until tender and slightly charred. Transfer to plate. Spray with oil.
- Place 1/3 of the eggplant across base of dish. Pour over 1/3 of the pasta sauce, basil, parmesan and bocconcini. Repeat this layer twice. Generously sprinkle breadcrumbs over the top. Spray with oil once more. Bake, uncovered, for 25 to 30 minutes or until top is golden and bubbling around the edges. Leave to cool slightly for 10 minutes. Serve hot.