My favorite meal on our trip to Venice was this delightful Melanzane alla Parmigiana I had at the quintessential Italian Ristorante Beccafico. My memories of that simple, satisfying dish inspired me to try to replicate it at home.
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| Melanzane alla Parmigiana at Ristorante Beccafico, Venice, Italy
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I made this Eggplant Parmesan recipe from Bon Appétit, with a few modifications along the way and loved it. With the slices of fresh mozzarella {BA recommends tearing the cheese} and simple tomato sauce it turned out to be much more luscious than the lunch I recalled, but who can complain about a little more lusciousness in life?
I love the simplicity of this recipe, the fact that it is baked and not fried, and that it doesn’t require “sweating” the eggplant. Also, the added bonus of tender, sweet roasted garlic cloves really added to the finished product.
This is a delectable vegetarian dish that would be satisfying for lunch or dinner; or you could even top it with a poached egg, sprinkle on some pinenuts and serve it for brunch. For additional ease, the sauce can be made a couple of days in advance and the eggplants can be baked the day before and stored in the refrigerator.
Eggplant Parmesan Recipe
from Bon Appétite
Ingredients
SERVINGS: 8
- ¾ cup plus 2 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 10 garlic cloves, 2 finely chopped, 8 whole
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 28-oz. can whole peeled tomatoes
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 4 medium or 8 small eggplants (about 4 lb.), halved lengthwise
- 8 sprigs oregano
- 1¼ cups coarse fresh breadcrumbs
- 12 oz. fresh mozzarella, torn into bite-size pieces
- 3 oz. Parmesan, finely grated (about ¾ cup)
- fresh chopped parsley to taste
Preparation
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Heat ¼ cup oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown, 6–8 minutes. Add chopped garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring, until beginning to darken, about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, crushing them with your hands as you add them; season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, partially covered, mashing tomatoes occasionally, until slightly thickened, 15–20 minutes. Set tomato sauce aside.
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Preheat oven to 400°. Using a vegetable peeler, remove skin from rounded side of each eggplant half, leaving a 1” strip of skin around the cut edges. Divide eggplants, oregano sprigs, whole garlic cloves, and ½ cup oil between 2 large rimmed baking sheets. Turn eggplants to coat with oil; season with salt and pepper and place cut side down.
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Cover baking sheets tightly with foil and bake until eggplants are very soft, 40–45 minutes. -
Toss breadcrumbs and remaining 2 Tbsp. oil in a medium bowl (I added in some fresh chopped parsley). Transfer eggplants, oregano, and garlic to 2 large shallow baking dishes, placing eggplants cut side up. Top eggplants with tomato sauce and mozzarella,
then sprinkle with breadcrumbs and Parmesan.
Bake until mozzarella is bubbling and breadcrumbs are golden, 25–30 minutes.
Buon Appetito!
This looks delicious!!! And, I will add the restaurant to my list of preferred restaurants in Venice, for sure! Thanks for sharing and have a terrific week! xoxo
Thanks Sandy, I hope you have a chance to visit it, it's really quite special.
Yum. I’m on it.
Please lmk what you think.