Melanzane Parmigiana
This is a traditional Italian dish and you can use any vegetable in season
Makes enough for: 2 people
Ingredients
- 15 mls olive oil, plus extra for frying
- 1 red onion, peeled and finely chopped
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to season
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
- 125 mls red wine
- 400 g tinned whole peeled tomatoes, broken up
- 15 mls tomato purée
- 1 pinch fructose
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper
- 10 g fresh basil, torn up
- 1 medium aubergine, cut into thick slices
- Coarse salt for the aubergine
- 60 g hard mozzarella cheese, grated
- 25 g Parmesan cheese, grated
- 15 mls bread crumbs
Method
- Place the olive oil into a sauce pan and heat
- Add the onion and sauté until soft
- Season generously and add the garlic, wine, tomatoes, tomato purée, fructose, cayenne pepper and basil
- Simmer for 1 hour and set aside once cooked to cool slightly
- Place the aubergine into a colander and sprinkle coarse salt all over
- Leave to stand for 30 minutes then brush the salt off
- Heat some olive oil in a frying pan and fry the aubergines until golden in colour
- Drain on paper towel
- Preheat the oven to 180° Celsius
- Place a thin layer of the tomato sauce into an oven proof dish
- Layer half of the aubergine slices on top and then layer with more tomato sauce
- Sprinkle ovedr the mozzarella then add another layer of aubergines
- Finish with the tomato sauce and then sprinkle over the Parmesan and bread crumbs
- Bake for 30 minutes and leave to cool for 5 minutes before cutting and serving