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Eggplant Casserole

17/11/2023

Eggplant casserole is a variant of the famous eggplant parmesan, a characteristic recipe of Italian cuisine. Here’s how to prepare a delicious Italian-style eggplant casserole that will envelop you with its rich and comforting flavor.

Ingredients

  • 3 medium-sized eggplants
  • Coarse salt (as much as needed to purge the eggplants)
  • Extra virgin olive oil (for frying)
  • 500 g of tomato puree
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • Fresh basil (a bunch)
  • 250 g of mozzarella (fiordilatte is better)
  • 100 g of grated Parmesan cheese
  • Salt and pepper (as much as needed)
  • Flour (for dredging the eggplants)

Preparation

  1. Wash the eggplants, cut them into slices about half a centimeter thick and let them purge by sprinkling them with coarse salt for about an hour. This step is necessary to reduce their potential bitterness.
  2. In the meantime, prepare the sauce: sauté the garlic in a little extra virgin olive oil, add the tomato puree, salt, and some basil leaves. Let it cook on medium-low heat until it has thickened.
  3. Rinse the eggplants under running water to remove the excess salt and dry them by dabbing them with kitchen paper.
  4. Dredge the eggplant slices in flour and fry them in plenty of hot oil until they become golden on both sides. Then place them on paper towels to remove the excess oil.
  5. Take a baking dish and start assembling the casserole by alternating layers of eggplants, tomato sauce, diced mozzarella, a bit of Parmesan, and some basil leaves.
  6. Repeat the layers until you have used up the ingredients, finishing with a generous sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.
  7. Bake at 180°C (356°F) for about 30 minutes or until the surface appears well browned.

After cooking the eggplant casserole, I suggest letting it rest for a few minutes before serving, so the flavors can blend better, and the consistency becomes more compact, making it easier to cut.

Curiosity

The eggplant casserole is a dish that can be enjoyed both hot and cold and is also excellent the next day when the flavors have had time to enhance further. It’s a versatile recipe that allows you to experiment, for example by adding layers of sautéed minced meat, as in a kind of lasagna, or ricotta for a touch of creaminess.