Dish · italian
Melanzane alla Parmigiana
Sliced eggplant, fried or baked, layered with tomato sauce, mozzarella, and parmesan, then baked until the layers meld and the top browns. It's dense and holds its shape when cut.
Where it comes from
Southern Italy, likely Campania or Sicily, gets credit for the dish, built around eggplant, cheap and abundant in the region's hot climate, and the layered format echoes lasagna's structure. Its exact town of origin is unsettled and disputed among both regions.
What cooks argue about
The fight is frying versus baking the eggplant: frying gives richer flavor but adds oil and time, baking is lighter but can leave the eggplant watery if it isn't salted first.
Versions
Nobody has published a melanzane alla parmigiana here yet. When somebody cooks one from a video and publishes it, their version appears in this list, with a link back to the original.
What goes in it
Each one opens everything else made with it.
eggplant
fresh mozzarella
basil
olive oil