I have a rather difficult relationship with eggplants. I will happily eat them when served, but they rarely beckon loudly enough from the market stands when I’m doing my own shopping. My husband, however, could live on eggplant alone for the rest of his life. And while we might think of it as a summer vegetable, the season for eggplants actually continues well into October (coincidentally, my husband’s birth month, as well). Among the eggplant dishes, I’ll be making for his birthday is a lighter version of the classic eggplant parmesan.
Don’t get me wrong, though: I’m not judging the classic eggplant parmigiana recipe – loaded with cheese, deep-fried eggplant, and a slow-cooked red sauce. It definitely has a well-deserved place among the most revered dishes of Italian tradition. But I also love this bright and light version, where the vegetables are minimally transformed and the cheese is more of a seasoning.
The eggplants are roasted, and for an added layer of flavor, I use smoked scamorza cheese – a stretched, dense Italian curd cheese with a stronger taste than the usual mozzarella, but not as salty as Parmigiano. This time of the year, I usually opt for a good can of Italian San Marzano tomatoes for the sauce, but I also like to use fresh tomatoes during the summer.
A few notes on the eggplant: Choose small- to medium-sized firm round eggplants with skin that appears stretched (without any wrinkles) around the flesh. Test it by trying to dent it with a fingernail – you should encounter resistance. Keep in mind that the bitterness mostly resides in the seeds, so if your eggplant doesn’t have many seeds, you can skip the salting step.
To assemble the lighter version of eggplant parmigiana, you can do so in advance and then bake it right before serving. I prefer serving it in small individual ramekins, but a big casserole will also work. However you present it, your eggplant-loving guests will become addicted to this recipe!
Lighter Eggplant Parmigiana by Viola Buitoni
4 small ramekins (4-5”)
Ingredients:
2 lbs medium-sized round eggplants (salted if needed)
½ cup olive oil
1 garlic clove, peeled
1 28-oz can whole San Marzano tomatoes
20 basil leaves
ground pepper to taste
1/2 lb smoked scamorza cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (or organic parmesan)
a few basil leaves for garnish
Method:
Slice the eggplant in 1/2” slices, sprinkle them with salt on both sides, and layer them in a colander. Cover with a plate to weigh down the eggplant and help extract the bitter juices from the seeds.
Coat the bottom of a sauté pan with olive oil. Once shimmery, add the garlic. Turn up the heat to medium and once the garlic is fragrant, add the San Marzano tomatoes and season generously with salt. Using kitchen scissors, snip the tomatoes into small pieces. (You can also use a tomato masher or your hands, but I like the chunky dice effect from the scissors.) Add 3 or 4 basil leaves, season with salt, and cook for 15 to 20 minutes.
The sauce should be bright in color and flavor, slightly chunky and loose, but not watery. Adjust salt and pepper and set aside.
While the sauce is cooking, dry the eggplant slices well with a paper towel on both sides. Brush with olive oil and bake at 325 ̊F until soft. After 10 minutes, turn over and cook for another 10 minutes on the other side. Season with pepper and set aside to cool.
Heat the oven to 350 ̊F.
Stack the remaining basil leaves and roll them tightly lengthwise. Slice them in thin ribbons. Shred the scamorza cheese, making sure to include the skin (where the smokey flavor comes from).
Now, it’s time to assemble the ramekins. Be mindful of dividing the ingredients so that you have enough for each one. Also, remember that the parmigiana layers should not be pressed, just gently rested on top of one another.
Brush the bottom of each ramekin with olive oil and sprinkle it with salt. Create a slightly overlapping layer of eggplant on the bottom of each one. Top with tomato sauce, scatter some scamorza cheese over the tomato, and then sprinkle a pinch of basil ribbons over that. Repeat these steps twice (in the same order). Top the last layer with 1 tablespoon of Parmigiano cheese. Assemble the other 3 ramekins the same way.
Bake for about 15 minutes – just enough to heat all the layers evenly and melt the scamorza. Let settle for 5 to 10 minutes once removed from the oven. Garnish with fresh basil and serve.
Buon appetito!
Watch Viola Buitoni making eggplant parmigiana on our Instagram account @lacucinaitalianausa - Highlights section #HomeCookingLCI