This classic Italian dish from Sicily is often simply referred to as 'parmigiana' by the Sicilian locals. The richness and depth of flavour that you get from this authentic version is well worth the extra effort. Serve aubergine parmigiana with nothing more than crusty bread and a green salad.
Fresh mozzarella can be very soft so it might need to be drained before using. Too much water will soften the fried aubergine and produce too much water in the parmigiana. You can replace fresh mozzarella with scamorza cheese, which is a bit drier but just as tasty.
Prepare the parmigiana up to 24 hours in advance and let it sit at room temperature for 4 to 6 hours or in the fridge for longer time. This way, the aubergine will have the time to soak in the sauce and you'll get a tastier parmigiana.
YUM! A perfect late-summer meal! I'd been craving eggplant Parmesan, and this was a great recipe. I used two large eggplants, rather than 6 lil' farmers' market ones. I also had a 25 oz bottle of passata, so I used the whole thing because I like plenty of sauce. I made this with half scamorza, half mozzarella, and it was delicious! Oh, and I was also running low on olive oil, so I used barely any oil and a hot cast iron skillet for the initial cooking step. I think I used 1/2 teaspoon salt in the sauce, and that - combined with coarse kosher salt sprinkled on the eggplant, plus the salty cheeses, was perfect for me. Great dish. - 10 Sep 2018 (Review from Allrecipes US | Canada)