Aubergines parmigiana or parmigiana with homemade tomato sauce

I love vegetables practically of any type and cooked in every possible way and of course they can be the real protagonists of platazos. That is what happens in this case with the aubergines, what happens is that they have a reputation for “sucking” a lot of oil and in this recipe you will discover that it is possible to avoid that and that they are incredibly delicious.

These eggplant parmigiana or parmigiana with homemade tomato sauce is one of my favorite recipes with aubergines because they are delicious and tender and the accompaniment of tomato sauce and cheese suits them phenomenally.

It is a fantastic way to cook this vegetable and you will discover the microwave trick to get the best result. The recipe takes a few steps since several cooking techniques are combined, but you will see that it is very simple and the result cannot be better. You can also transform this dish a bit by following the recommendations I make below in the Variations section, since it is very easy to turn these eggplant parmesan into a lasagna.

If you liked this recipe, you are going to love these other aubergine recipes, such as stuffed aubergines, of which I already have a few published on the blog because I love them: Eggplant stuffed with minced meat in the microwavethe aubergines stuffed with mushroomsthe aubergines stuffed with chicken and roquefort waves aubergines stuffed with tuna and vegetables with goat cheese and basil oil.

You will also love other types of recipes in which aubergines are the protagonists like this baked aubergine pie with cream cheesethe baked aubergines with cane honeythe oven-roasted eggplants, tender and deliciousthe baba ganoush, mutabal or arabic eggplant pâté waves fried and crispy battered aubergines, with tricks so they don’t get oily.

Ingredients to make eggplant parmigiana or parmigiana with homemade tomato sauce (4 people):

• 4 eggplants.
• 150 gr of grated or powdered Parmesan cheese (or in a block and grate it at home).
• 2 balls of fresh mozzarella (about 200-250 gr).
• Olive oil and salt.
• 500 gr of tomato sauce. If you want to prepare it at home you will need:
  • 1 kg of crushed tomato, either fresh and crushed at home or canned already crushed or even sifted, without skins or seeds (the latter is the one I usually use).
  • A few fresh basil leaves or a dessert spoon of dried oregano.
  • 40 gr of olive oil (a couple of tablespoons).
  • Freshly ground black pepper.
  • Salt.

Preparation, how to make the recipe for eggplant parmigiana or parmigiana with homemade tomato sauce:

1. Wash them well eggplantscut both ends and then into slices that are neither too thin nor too thick, as you can see in the photo below.
2. Now you have two options to remove the bitterness and, by the way, make them a little more tender when cooking them, especially the microwave option (the one I do and the one I recommend the most, which also prevents them from sucking oil when passing them then by the plate):
   1. With salt: put the slices of eggplant in a colander in layers one on top of the other and on top of each layer go throwing them Salt. Leave them there for 20 minutes so that a little liquid drains out and the bitterness goes away. Wash them well with cold water, let them drain for a few minutes and dry them with kitchen paper.
   2. in microwave: put the slices of eggplant in a microwave-safe container or case, add a little Salt top and cook until they start to get a little tender and darker. For 2 aubergines I have needed 8 minutes, for 4 aubergines the ideal is to do it in two batches.
3. As we begin to prepare a simple ketchup homemade. In a pot add a little oilwhen I say little it is only a tablespoon.
4. Also add the tomatoes crushed, the oregano wave basila bit of Salt Y black pepper ground to taste and turn on the heat at medium temperature.
5. When it starts to bubble, lower the heat so that it is soft and cook the ketchup about 25-30 minutes, until thick. The ideal is not to cover the pot but since it usually splashes a little you can put a poorly fitted lid on it so that it leaves a hole on one side of the edge of the pot through which the liquids evaporate. Another option is to cook the tomato sauce in a tall pot.
6. When the texture is to your liking (try not to be too liquid) try the ketchup in case you have to add more Salt and if you notice it a little acid, add a dessert spoon of sugarmix and taste it again to see if it is ready.
7. While the sauce is cooking, put a smooth frying pan or a wide grill pan on the heat with a little oil over medium heat and when it is hot, cook the eggplants first on one side and then on the other. Those that have only been draining with salt will take 3 or 4 minutes per side, while those that have been microwaved with 1 or 2 minutes per side will be enough. Remove them to a separate plate when they have browned a little on both sides, and if you like to cook them with a lot of oil, do not forget to put a kitchen paper on the plate to release the excess oil.
8. cut the balls of mozzarella sliced ​​fresh with a knife.
9. Now that we have everything ready, preheat the oven to 200ºC with heat up and down and a fan and we start to assemble everything.
10. In a baking dish put a light base of ketchup and place a first layer of eggplants. In this case I have prepared aubergines for 2 servings and that is why it is small, but for 4 servings you should use a tray twice as large.
11. On top place slices of mozzarella fresh and Parmesan. You can also add some leaves basil between the layers, either whole or chopped.
12. Continue layering on top of ketchup, eggplant, mozzarella Y ketchup until you finish with the ingredients and finish with a little ketchup and the Parmesan above.
13. Put the tray in the oven at medium height and bake the Eggplants parmigiana for about 15-20 minutes, until you see that the cheese has melted on top and is golden.

Time: 1 hour and 15 minutes

Difficulty: easy

Serve and taste:

Let rest the tray out of the oven between 5 and 10 minutes so that the juices settle a little and cool down a bit since the aubergines keep the heat very well and we could burn ourselves when eating them. If you have leftovers, don’t worry, you can leave them in the fridge 2-3 days, then with a reheated in the oven or even in the microwave they will be like freshly made. You can too freeze them.

It is one of my favorite recipes with eggplant because they remain exquisite, with a tender texture and also very tasty. The accompaniment of a good homemade tomato sauce with a touch of aromatic herbs and the culmination of the cheeses make it a great dish authentic… scandal!

Variations of the recipe for eggplant parmigiana or parmigiana with homemade tomato sauce:

This recipe is sometimes served as first course although sometimes at home we eat it as main dishthat’s why sometimes I dare to put all this preparation between layers of pasta lasagna, this is how it looks like a great aubergine lasagna. Simply put a base of tomato sauce, then a layer of lasagna sheets and on top a layer of aubergines, another of cheese and another of tomato, until finished. Finally you can add tomato sauce or prepare this homemade bechamel sauce infallible and so be a lasagna of the most authentic.

Do you want to add minced meat? then cook this homemade bolognese sauce which is very tasty and will go great with aubergines. Also dare to change the type of cheese, for example goat roll would be great or a little grated emmental on top.

Tips:

If you want use the minimum amount of oil I recommend you cook them first in the microwaveI assure you they are fantastic. Of course, the minutes depend on the amount of aubergines so do not be afraid to open the microwave as many times as necessary and prick the aubergines, as soon as you notice them a little tender they are ready because if you cook them too much the slices will lose their shape and it will be more complicated to cook them later on the grill and handle them.