Eggplant Parmesan

Ingredients

• 2 kg of long eggplants
• 1 kg of type 00 flour
• 5 eggs
• large salt
• deep-fried peanut oil
• 500 g of peeled tomatoes
• 500 g of tomato sauce (passata)
• 2 cloves of garlic
• extra virgin olive oil
• fine salt
• basil
• 500 g of mozzarella
• 100 g of grated Parmesan cheese
• 50 g of breadcrumbs

Wash and dry the eggplants, cut off the ends, then slice them lengthwise into pieces about 7 mm thick.

Arrange the slices in a large colander, sprinkling coarse salt between each layer. Place a plate on top, using a weight (such as a 1.5-liter water bottle) to press them, and let them drain for about 3 hours.

While you’re doing that, cut the mozzarella into approximately 3 cm cubes and let it drain for 15 minutes.

Prepare the sauce: finely mince the garlic and sauté it gently in the olive oil. Add the peeled tomatoes, then, a minute later, the ground meat and a pinch of salt. Simmer for about 75 minutes over low heat, adding a little boiling water if it starts to stick. Let it rest.

Rinse the eggplants under cold water and pat them dry with a dishcloth.

Coat them in flour, then in beaten eggs, and fry them in hot oil. Drain them on paper towels.

In a rectangular dish, spread a layer of sauce, then eggplant, then mozzarella. Repeat, rotating the eggplant slices by 180 degrees at each layer and pressing them down slightly into the sauce.

Finish with a layer of sauce, grated Parmesan cheese, breadcrumbs, and a drizzle of olive oil.

Bake in a preheated oven at 180 °C for approximately 45 minutes, or until the surface is lightly golden.

Remove the dish from the oven and let it rest for 3 to 4 hours before serving.