Melanzane alla Parmigiana

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Ingredients

3 large brinjals
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
4 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 T olive oil, plus extra for frying
360 g tomato passata
1½ T sugar
flour, for dusting
30 g fresh basil, torn
300 g mozzarella, cut into 2 cm slices
150 g Grana Padano shavings
2 T butter

Cooking Instructions

Trim the brinjals and peel lengthways leaving on alternate strips of skin. Cut into 1 cm rounds and salt lightly. Allow to stand for 30 minutes.

Lightly fry the garlic in the olive oil in a small saucepan, then add the tomato passata and sugar and simmer, stirring occasionally, over a low heat for a few minutes. Preheat the oven to 200°C.

Rinse the brinjals and pat dry using kitchen paper, then lightly dust both sides with flour. Fry in the oil over a medium heat until golden on both sides, then drain on kitchen paper.

Spread a thin layer of the tomato mixture into a 25 cm ovenproof dish, then add a layer of brinjals, half the basil, and a third of the mozzarella and Grana Padano. Season to taste. Repeat and finish with a layer of tomato and cheese. Season and dot with butter, then bake for 30 minutes.

Serve immediately.

Cook's note: Laden with olive oil and cheese, this is not a diet option. You could use fi or di latte and Parmigiana Reggiano if you're feeling flush, but for this recipe, I went basic. And it tasted just fine.

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