EGGPLANT PARMAGIANA
Serves 6 - 8
Ingredients:
3 large eggplants, about 1kg
Extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt
Cracked black pepper
1 large onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 cup tomato paste
700ml bottle of passata
400g tinned crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon caster sugar
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Fresh basil
2 cups baby spinach
1-2 cups of parmesan cheese, grated
1 cup tasty or mozzarella, grated
Method:
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees fan force.
Cut the ends off each of the eggplants, then stand it up with the wider flat end so that it’s steady. Use your knife and cut vertically down the eggplant to create long, even slices. Do this to all three eggplants.
Brush olive oil all over baking trays and lay the eggplant slices in one layer over the baking trays. Season well with salt & pepper and brush the top of the eggplant slices with olive oil. Roast for approx. 20-25 minutes, until golden and soft. You can rotate the trays after 15 minutes to make sure that the edges don’t burn. Remove and set aside.
Meanwhile, make the tomato sauce. Place a large frying pan onto medium heat. Add some olive oil and let it heat. Sauté onions and garlic for 3 minutes until softened and just about to colour on the edges. Add the tomato paste and stir through. Then add the passata, crushed tomatoes, water, caster sugar and balsamic vinegar. Turn down to a gentle heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
Using a 20cm X 20cm roasting dish, spread some of the tomato sugo all over the bottom of the pan, then lay eggplant slices in one layer over the sugo, then spread some more sugo over the eggplant slices, then sprinkle in a layer of grated parmesan. Repeat these layers until everything is used up, it should make 3 layers of eggplant. I also like to put a layer of baby spinach near the top, covered with the parmesan and grated mozzarella.
Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 5-10 until bubbly and golden. Scatter over fresh basil.