Eggplant parmigiana is one of my favorite dishes from southern Italian cooking. Fried slices of eggplant, a basil tomato sauce, mozzarella and plenty of Parmesan, all layered and baked until golden. It is simple, generous and tastes like summer, even in the middle of winter.
Both Campania and Sicily claim the dish as their own, and every family has its own little version. I enjoyed it one lunchtime in April 2026 at Tarent’elles in Stiring-Wendel, here in Moselle, served with meat, and it was absolutely delicious.
The recipe I am sharing here is not the restaurant’s: it is the traditional version, without meat, the one Italians make for Sunday lunch. It takes a bit of time, but it is even better the next day.
The recipe
Classic recipeThe traditional recipe for the dish, not the one from the restaurant where I tasted it.
Ingredients
Eggplant
- 1.5 kg eggplants (about 4)
- 15 g coarse salt
- 500 ml peanut oil for frying
Tomato sauce
- 1.4 kg passata (strained tomatoes)
- 1 small onion
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 5 basil leaves
- 1 pinch of salt
Assembly
- 400 g fior di latte mozzarella
- 150 g grated Parmesan (Parmigiano Reggiano)
- 10 fresh basil leaves
Method
- Wash the eggplants and cut them lengthwise into 5 mm slices. Layer them in a colander, salting each layer with the coarse salt, put a weight on top and let them drain for 1 hour.
- Meanwhile, make the sauce. Finely chop the onion and sweat it for 5 minutes over low heat in the olive oil. Add the passata, 5 basil leaves and the salt, then simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, stirring from time to time.
- Cut the mozzarella into small cubes and leave it to drain in a sieve. Quickly rinse the eggplant slices in cold water and dry them very carefully with a clean kitchen towel.
- Heat the peanut oil to 170 °C in a large, deep frying pan. Fry the eggplant in batches, 2 to 3 minutes per side, until nicely golden. Drain on paper towels.
- Preheat the oven to 180 °C. In a dish of about 20 x 30 cm, spread a few spoonfuls of sauce, then a layer of eggplant. Add some sauce, mozzarella cubes, a handful of Parmesan and a few basil leaves.
- Repeat to make 3 or 4 layers. Finish with a layer of sauce and a generous layer of Parmesan.
- Bake for 40 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling at the edges and the top is nicely browned.
- Let it rest for 15 minutes out of the oven before cutting, so the layers hold together. Serve hot or warm.
Tips and variations
- For a lighter version, brush the slices with olive oil and roast them for 20 minutes at 220 °C instead of frying.
- Parmigiana keeps for 3 days in the fridge, well covered. It is even better reheated the next day.
- It freezes very well in portions: reheat it for 25 minutes in the oven at 170 °C.
- In some families in Campania and Sicily, slices of hard-boiled egg or small meatballs are added between the layers.
Recipe shared for guidance only, adapt it to your equipment: times and temperatures may vary. Check for allergens (gluten, milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, nuts, sesame…) and make sure ingredients are fresh. Raw or undercooked fish, meat and eggs are not recommended for pregnant women, young children, elderly or vulnerable people. Take care with hot oil, flambéing and alcohol. I am not a health or nutrition professional.