Aubergine parmigiana recipe | Jamie Oliver recipes (2024)

FAQs

What protein to serve with eggplant Parmesan? ›

These classic Italian-style pan-fried meatballs are made with a blend of ground beef, breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, and seasonings then cooked in olive oil until golden brown. They make a delightful meaty accompaniment to eggplant parm and are perfect for any meat lovers that you have at your table.

Reduce the sugo (tomato sauce) enough to a thick consistency - this will prevent the eggplant parmigiana from becoming too watery/saucy. Use a sharp knife to slice the eggplants (and be careful!) - a blunt knife increases the risk of the eggplants rolling as you attempt to cut through.

Spread out the aubergine in a roasting tin or on a baking sheet (you may need to use two) and drizzle with the oil. Turn the pieces over with your hands and season. Roast for 15-20 mins, turning the slices halfway through cooking, or until they are dark golden on the outside and soft inside.

However, as the eggplant grows bigger and matures, the peel may become tough and bitter. People often prefer to peel larger eggplants because of this, but smaller eggplants do just fine unpeeled. It ends up being a matter of personal preference.

Which One is for You? Eggplant parmesan tends to be lighter on the stomach and is considered to be more healthy. Eggplant is also less expensive. Restaurants find that it is a much cheaper option for guests.

Remember, this is eggplant parm, not sauce parm. You want to do the most to protect your eggplant. Salting it to remove moisture before it starts cooking is very important (and letting it squeeze out excess moisture beneath the weight of a heavy pot for an hour is crucial, too).

Modern eggplant has had bitterness nearly bred out of it, so many cooks have given up the practice. Salting the slices for eggplant Parmesan is not to prevent bitter flavors, but to season the eggplant itself and, at least in my experience, keep the eggplant from sucking up too much of the olive oil from frying.

Undercooked eggplant will ruin your eggplant Parmesan. The texture of undercooked eggplant is tough and spongy at the same time. Ideally, the texture should be firm enough to sink your teeth into but with a crisp outside and a chewy inside.

Eggplants are known to absorb a lot of fat while cooking. A useful tip to prevent sogginess and greasiness is to salt sliced or diced eggplant and let it sit for an hour. This helps to draw out moisture.

In the past, recipes called for aubergines to be sliced and salted before cooking to reduce their bitterness. As modern varieties are much less bitter, that is no longer necessary, unless you're planning to fry them – aubergines soak up oil like a sponge and salting helps reduce that.

What goes good with parm? ›

The strong flavors in Parm compliment garden herbs, which can be tossed with fresh lemon juice, olive oil and sea salt for a simple salad. Try mixing fresh greens with fistfuls of basil, chives, thyme, parsley, and nasturtiums. Before dinner: sparkling wine.

The deep purple skin of the eggplant provides a good dose of anthocyanins, a plant pigment that protects brain cells against cellular damage. High in fiber and rich in folate, eggplant is part of the Nightshade family of fruits. Yes, eggplant is technically a fruit—a berry!

The fiber, potassium, vitamin C, vitamin B-6, and antioxidants in eggplants all support heart health. A review published in 2019 suggested that eating foods containing certain flavonoids, including anthocyanins, helps reduce inflammatory markers that increase the risk of heart disease.

The ideal wine may be of no surprise but eggplant parmesan is best matched with a Tuscan red wine such as Chianti or Brunello. If you're feeling adventurous, you can try the wild and lighter reds from the Jura in France.