Eggplant Parmigiana

[judydawn]

Name of Recipe: Eggplant Parmigiana
Number of People: 2 as a main, 4 as a side dish
Ingredients:
1 large eggplant (around 400 - 500g)
125g tasty cheese, cut into cubes
30g parmesan, cut into cubes
1 onion, quartered
20g olive oil
100g mushrooms, sliced
S & P to taste
350g passata
125g water
1 cup fresh breadcrumbs

Preparation:

Cut the eggplant crossways into 1.5cm slices. Place in the varoma dish and tray in a single layer.  Set aside.

Grate the tasty cheese 10 sec/speed 8 - set aside.

Grate the parmesan cheese 5 sec/speed 8 - set aside to mix with the breadcrumbs for the topping.

Chop the onion 2 sec/speed 5, add the olive oil and saute 2 mins/100^oC/reverse/speed 1.

Add the sliced mushrooms and cook 2 mins/100^oC/reverse/speed 1.

Add the passata and water, place the lid on and place the varoma dishes in place.

Cook 20 mins/varoma temp/reverse/speed 3.

Check after 10 minutes to make sure the sauce isn't becoming too thick.  Add more water if it is and check again after another 5 minutes bearing in mind that you don't want the final sauce to be too runny.

Grease a 20 cm square ovenproof dish and layer it with the eggplant (remove from the varoma dishes with an egg lifter), some of the sauce then some of the tasty cheese. Make 3 layers ending with the cheese.

Top with the combined parmesan and breadcrumbs, drizzle with a little olive oil. Bake at 180^oC for 30 mins or until the top is golden brown and the dish heated through.

Photos:

Tips/Hints:
This dish can be prepared the day before and cooked when needed.
You can use mozzarella in place of the tasty cheese.
The picture is of my 2 layered dish but I have written instructions for 3 layers as I think it would be better.


Uni: Judy some parts of Italy use hard boiled eggs in the layers, where I from we do not .i fry my eggplant, I will give the varoma ago next time. Last time I made it I fried one layer and grilled the other .

Katya: Yum Judy and so much healthier than a version with fried eggplants.   
If I didn't have breadcrumbs to hand, I guess I could grind the bread and parmesan together at the beginning?

JD:Yes you could Katya.

Nicky74: it caught my eye as the vege patch is full of too many eggplant for me to get through. do you think it would freeze well once prepared and just do the oven part later?

Uni:eggplants do freeze well, when fried or grilled not sure about steaming them. I have bags full in the freezer some are diced to add too a pasta, pie, curry dishes
Some are full slices for when I make eggplant involtini and the odd shape ones I use for Parmigiana or veal or chicken Parmigiana
I do freeze involtini, veal or chicken Parmigiana, stuffed eggplant and just the plain Parmigiana

VC: Did anybody try freezing this? I have an eggplant that needs using but doesn't fit in my meal plan for another couple of weeks... 

Uni:its fine to freeze ViolinCuddles 

[fundj&e]

Judy some parts of italy use hard boiled eggs in the layers, where I from we do not .i fry my eggplant, I will give the varoma ago next time. Last time I made it I fried one layer and grilled the other .

ciao
uni

[judydawn]

The recipe from which this one was converted was coated in flour and fried fundj but I wanted something healthier and I hate using the stove top these days then having to clean it  I thought it would be bland and tasteless but it wasn't.

[Katya]

Yum Judy and so much healthier than a version with fried eggplants.   

If I didn't have breadcrumbs to hand, I guess I could grind the bread and parmesan together at the beginning?

[judydawn]

Yes you could Katya, I always have a supply of breadcrumbs in the freezer and usually a batch of grated parmesan in the fridge.

[NICKY 74]

this looks really yummy jd. it caught my eye as the vege patch is full of too many eggplant for me to get through. do you think it would freeze well once prepared and just do the oven part later?
thanks nicky 

[fundj&e]

Nicky
eggplants do freeze well, when fried or grilled not sure about steaming them. I have bags full in the freezer some are diced to add too a pasta, pie, curry dishes
Some are full slices for when I make eggplant involtini and the odd shape ones I use for Parmigiana or veal or chicken Parmigiana

I do freeze involtini, veal or chicken Parmigiana, stuffed eggplant and just the plain Parmigiana

Ciao

[judydawn]

I hope Nicky's answer is of help fundj.  I've never frozen it but it is certainly worth a try if you have a good supply of eggplants. I've only ever cooked with eggplant 3 times I think and I was very pleased with this recipe.

[NICKY 74]

thanks guys, giving it a try tonight! will let you know if it freezes well.

[Cuilidh]

When I make this there is never enough left over to freeze!

[Denzelmum]

Huge eggplant from the garden.  DH and me enjoy it, but DD is very particular and not brave enough to try eggplant.

[Cuilidh]

This is a really nice recipe, Denzelmum, you should give it a try.  So long as the eggplant is properly cooked all the way through, it is really nice, it is only when the eggplant is partially cooked (the eggplant, I mean) that it doesn't taste so good.

Would it help if you called it Aubergine?

[JulieO]

Judy, this looks so tasty, I must have missed this one.  What did you serve with yours? 

[judydawn]

Can't remember but I would say a salad Julie. I am getting away with the odd vegetarian meal - half the time DH hasn't got a clue what he is eating 

[JulieO]

Thanks for that Judy, it's on the agenda for next week.