Eggplant Parmigiana

Serves 4

Time 2 hours

Ingredients

2 large eggplants, tops removed, thinly sliced and salted
flour for dusting
4-5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil for shallow frying 

Sauce
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
½ brown onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, microplaned
700g passata
1 bunch basil, ripped
1 bunch fresh parsley, roughly chopped
Salt & pepper

250g mozzarella cheese, cubed
¾ cup parmesan cheese, grated
⅓ cup sourdough breadcrumbs

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Sprinkle with salt and set aside for an hour.
Rinse the eggplant slices under cold water and pat them dry with a kitchen towel or paper towel. Lightly dust them with flour, shaking off any excess then fry them in extra virgin olive oil for 4-5 minutes, drain on kitchen paper to remove any excess oil.
In a frying pan sauté onion with a little extra virgin olive oil. Add tomato passata, basil, salt and pepper and cook for 5-10 minutes, or until the sauce begins to thicken.
Spoon a small amount of tomato sauce into the bottom of a baking dish and spread it around, this will stop the eggplant from sticking.
Add a layer of eggplant to the dish, then sprinkle with parmesan, mozzarella and a couple of spoons sauce. Repeat. Top with parmesan, mozzarella and breadcrumbs.
Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for a few more minutes until the top has gone golden brown and crispy.