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Aubergine Parmigiana (Italian Baked Aubergine)

A layered aubergine bake with tomato, parmesan, and herbs, finished until soft, rich, and lightly crisp on top.
A layered aubergine bake with tomato, parmesan, and herbs, finished until soft, rich, and lightly crisp on top.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings 6

Ingredients

  • 3 large aubergines
  • Olive oil
  • 1 onion finely chopped
  • ½ bulb spring garlic or 1 clove garlic, sliced
  • 1 heaped tsp dried oregano
  • 2 × 400 g tins plum tomatoes or ~1 kg fresh tomatoes
  • Wine vinegar to taste
  • 1 bunch fresh basil ≈30 g
  • Parmesan cheese 3 large handfuls, grated
  • 2 handfuls dried breadcrumbs
  • Fresh oregano to finish
  • 150 g mozzarella optional

Instructions

Prepare aubergines

  • Preheat a griddle pan or grill.
  • Slice aubergines into ~1 cm slices and grill until lightly charred on both sides.

Make the sauce

  • Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat.
  • Add onion, garlic, and dried oregano. Cook for ~10 minutes until softened.
  • Add tomatoes
  • Add chopped or tinned tomatoes and stir.
  • Cover and simmer for ~15 minutes until thickened.

Finish sauce

  • Season with salt, black pepper, and a small splash of wine vinegar.
  • Stir in fresh basil.
  • Leave chunky or blend if preferred.

Layer the bake

  • Spoon a layer of sauce into a baking dish.
  • Add a layer of parmesan, then aubergine slices.
  • Repeat layers until ingredients are used.
  • Finish with sauce and parmesan.

Top

  • Mix breadcrumbs with chopped oregano and a little olive oil.
  • Sprinkle over the top.
  • Add mozzarella if using.

Bake

  • Bake at 190°C for ~30 minutes until golden, crisp and bubbling