An Italian tasty and easy recipe.
Ingredients (4 people):
6 large eggplants
500 grams (1.1 lb) of tomatoes puree
400 grams (0.88 lb) of mozzarella cheese
100 grams (3.5 oz) of Parmesan cheese
Fresh basil
1 clove garlic
salt
Pepper
Butter
Extra virgin olive oil
First we cut the eggplant into slices and put them in a bowl with cold water and a handful of salt at least two hours before starting to prepare the parmigiana. This will prevent the eggplant absorb the frying oil and that the result would be too greasy. Also the bitter taste of the eggplant will dissapear.
After the two hours drain the slices and fry in plenty of olive oil until golden. We drain them and took them to a kitchen paper to remove excess oil.
In the same pan - if you have excessive oil withdraw part of it - fry the crushed tomatoes with basil leaves, the whole garlic clove and well seasoned. When tomato is fried - 10 minutes will be enough - withdraw garlic and basil.
In a deep pan that can go in the oven put in the buttered bottom a layer of eggplant slices. It is then covered with a thin layer of tomato. Then another layer of grated mozzarella and a little Parmesan. And back to start. Another layer of eggplant, then tomatoes, then mozzarella and Parmesan. So until you finish with the ingredients, preferably that the top will be made with a layer of mozzarella / parmesan.
Preheat oven to 190 degrees C (374 F) and bake for half an hour. If you want you can grill for a couple of minutes before end of cooking.
Why is it called parmigiana if there is more mozzarella than parmesan? because the parmesan is the dominant flavor and is not used in greater numbers because the cost is far higher than that of the mozzarella.