The ultimate Italian classic – Parmigiana. Think of this dish as a type of lasagna but without the pasta sheets or the creamy Bechamel sauce. You’d thing we’re missing some of the main ingredients here, but Parmigiana creates its own little dreamy creamy world in layers of grilled eggplant, tomato sauce and two types of cheese. To make this recipe more versatile I’m sharing two upgraded versions here – veggie Parmigiana with eggplants and courgettes as well as meaty Parmigiana made with dry aged beef mince. Both are equally delicious.

In case you are very much of a pasta person, have in mind that you can always serve parmigiana as part of a dinner feast Italian style. Serve it along with simple cacio e pepe (Italian for cheese and pepper) pasta, some freshly baked focaccia or ciabatta.

Key Ingredient Of Successful Parmigiana

Deliciousness in a Parmigiana develops over time therefore have in mind that patience is what we’re looking for. All of those layers need enough time to heat up, stew and slowly soften. I think it’s worth waiting for that melt-in-your-mouth experience.

Instructions

Cut courgettes and eggplants into thin slices (you can also cut lengthwise if you prefer). Season with salt on both sides and transfer to two separate collanders. Leave for 1 hour to drain then gently squeeze out any leftover liquid.

Salt will help to remove excess liquid out of the vegetables which will result in them being soft in our “Parmigiana” instead of turning it into a soggy mess.

If you’re making the meaty version, sauté finely chopped shallots and garlic in a hot pan with 2 tbsp of oil until caramelised. Add the beef mince, spices and fry until browned throughout. Mix in the vinegar. Season with salt.

Pat the drained vegetables dry. Cook them on a lightly oiled grill pan on both sides until softened.

Grate parmesan and tear mozzarella into small pieces.

Layer: add a bit of tomato sauce to the bottom of your baking dish, arrange a layer of eggplant on top, then courgettes (if you’re making the meaty version, this is where you add the beef mince). Finish off with some parmesan and mozzarella. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.

The final layer should consist of tomato sauce with both of the cheeses, but do not add all of the cheese at first as it might burn while baking. Instead, reserve most of the cheese for top layer for the very end of cooking.

Cover with foil and bake at 180°C (no fan) for 1h 20 min., then remove the foil, top with remaining cheese, turn the broiler on and raise the temperature to 220°C. Put the dish back in the oven and leave until cheese melts and gets slightly browned, another 15-20 minutes.