How To Make A Quick And Easy Parmigiana

The name parmigiana sounds like a dish from Parma, but you be surprised to find out that parmigiana has its origins in the south of the country. They called this dish Parmigiana due to parmigiano reggiano cheese that originates from Parma in the north of the country. I'm always on the lookout for new ideas and new ways to do old things. It can also be a good idea for new year eves or xmast dish. I was intrigued by this version. It’s actually the way my family does it since generations. Not to my surprise, parmigiana is completely unknow to my area in south east asia. It always surprises my guests when I come up with this dish, simply because they have the impression that all western foods are expensive to make. Well, partly true but here I proof them wrong… its easy and cheap to make!

The parmigiana dish is a dish that you could be prepared with spending less and not much time investment and energy. Great dish to make a change every now and then. it actually has lot's of similarities to traditional beef lasagna  parmigiana can be a good alternative solutions for vegetarians. 

Ingredients for up to 3 persons:

3 large aubergines (damage $4.00)
Olive Oil
Garlic, I prefer old garlic (peeled and finely sliced)
1 teaspoon of oregano
800 g tinned plum tomatoes (damage $6.00)
sea salt
ground black pepper
a little wine vinegar
3 large handfuls of parmesan cheese, freshly grated (damage $6.00)
2 handfuls dried breadcrumbs
150g mozzarella, optional (damage $ 5.00)

The first thing to do is to remove the stalks from the aubergines, slice them up into 1cm thick slices, and put to one side. Whether you're using a griddle pan or a barbecue, get it really hot. Meanwhile, put 2 or 3 lugs of olive oil into a large pan on a medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and dried oregano and cook for 10 minutes, until the onion is soft and the garlic has a tiny bit of colour. If you're using tinned tomatoes, break them up, and if you're using fresh tomatoes (which will obviously taste sweeter and more delicious, if they're in season), very quickly prick each one and put them into a big pan of boiling water for 40 seconds.

Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and put them into a bowl of cold water for 30 seconds, then remove the skins, carefully squeeze out the pips and cut up the flesh. Add the tomato flesh or tinned tomatoes to the onion, garlic and oregano. Give the mixture a good stir, then put a lid on the pan and simmer slowly for 15 minutes. 

Meanwhile, grill the aubergines on both sides until lightly charred – you may have to do them in batches, as they probably won't all fit into your griddle pan in one go. As each batch is finished, remove them to a tray and carry on grilling the rest until they're all nicely done. When the tomato sauce is reduced and sweet, season it carefully with salt, pepper and a tiny swig of wine vinegar, and add the basil. You can leave the sauce chunky or you can purée it.

Get yourself an earthenware type dish (25 x 12–15cm). Put in a small layer of tomato sauce, then a thin scattering of Parmesan, followed by a single layer of aubergines. Repeat these layers until you've used all the ingredients up, finishing with a little sauce and another good sprinkling of Parmesan. I like to toss the breadcrumbs in olive oil with a little freshly chopped oregano and sprinkle them on top of the Parmesan. Sometimes the dish is served with torn-up mozzarella on top, which is nice too.

Place the dish in the oven and bake at 190°C/375°F/gas five for half an hour until golden, crisp and bubbly. It's best eaten straight away, but it can also be served cold.