Aubergine Parmigiana

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Aubergine Parmigiana

Have a larger portion as a main meal, with a simple salad or have it as a side meal, win win!
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Course Meal, Side Dish

Ingredients
  

  • 2-3 large Aubergines, sliced into 1cm circles
  • 400g tinned cherry tomatoes
  • 1 large red onion, finely diced
  • 2-3 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
  • Bunch of fresh basil leaves
  • Glass of red wine (optional, it just gives it a better depth of flavor)
  • Bunch of fresh basil leaves
  • 2 tsp of oregano
  • Splash of balsamic vinegar
  • Salt & Pepper, to taste
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp of tomato puree
  • Parmesan cheese, finely grated, to taste
  • Mozzarella (optional)

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 180 degrees (fan)
  • Heat the olive oil in a deep frying pan, on a medium heat.
  • Add the diced onions and a pinch of salt, and slowly cook (don’t rush!) until they start to become translucent, about 5 mins.
  • Add the garlic, stir and allow to slowly cook and start releasing the amazing garlicky fragrance.
  • Stir in the tomato puree, incorporating it into the onions and garlic, add a little water to loosen it up slightly, it should become a thick-ish paste.
  • Pour in the red wine (turn up the heat first), and boil for 3 mins until the alcohol has cooked away.
  • Add the tinned tomatoes, oregano, balsamic vinegar, turn the heat down and simmer.
  • Now for the aubergine, leave the tomato sauce to simmer whilst you complete these next steps…
  • Heat a frying pan, medium to high heat, and spray the aubergine sliced with spray olive oil and season with S&P
  • Place slices into the frying pan, don’t overcrowd the pan, you’ll have to do this in batches
  • Cook until brown on each side, this should take about 2-3 mins on each side, be patient, continue this step until all slices have been cooked on both sides
  • Now we’re ready to assemble, in an ovenproof dish, I use a 20cmx20xcm dish.
  • The tomato sauce should be thick and flavorsome, so turn off the heat and ladle a ⅓ of the sauce into the bottom of the dish. Place 3-4 basil leaves onto and then a layer of the browned aubergine slices, don’t worry if there are gaps, just enough to give it a decent layer.
  • Repeat the above steps, twice more and then top with a generous amount of the grated parmesan cheese and, if using, the mozzarella, add this to the top now
  • Place in the oven, for 30-40 mins until the cheese on top is golden and crispy
  • Serve (a good portion), with a simple rocket salad, dressed with balsamic and extra virgin olive oil or as a side dish to a meal of your choice!

Notes

Tips
After each step, taste it and make sure you’re happy with the flavors and if you want to add a bit more, add it! Just remember, you can’t remove it once you’ve added it so if you’re unsure of an ingredient, add a little at a time."
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