Aubergine Parmigiana with Rich Tomato Sauce
Aubergine parmigiana with rich tomato sauce: roasted aubergine layered with mozzarella, basil and a crisp cheesy crumb — a vegetarian main for everyone.
Parmigiana is the vegetarian main that never feels like the vegetarian option: layers of roasted aubergine, a tomato sauce cooked down until it is almost a jam, mozzarella pulled into strings, and a crisp, cheesy crumb on top. It is the dish to make when the table includes people who claim not to like aubergine.
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The aubergines are roasted here, not fried. They drink less oil, keep their shape, and the edges catch and caramelise in a way a frying pan never quite manages — and you are not standing over spitting oil for twenty minutes.
Why this recipe works
Salting the aubergine slices and leaving them for twenty minutes draws out bitter juices and collapses the spongy flesh, so the slices roast silky instead of steaming. The tomato sauce is deliberately plain — garlic, tomato, basil — and reduced until a spoon dragged through it leaves a trail; a watery sauce is the one thing that can ruin a parmigiana, turning the layers soupy in the oven.
A thin layer of breadcrumbs over the top is not traditional everywhere, but it earns its place: it soaks up the mozzarella’s moisture and bakes into a golden lid that contrasts with everything soft beneath it.
The key ingredients
Choose aubergines that feel heavy for their size with taut, shiny skin — light ones tend to be seedy and bitter. For the cheese, a ball of mozzarella torn and well drained beats the pre-grated kind, which is coated to stop it melting properly. The hard cheese here is a vegetarian Italian-style one; standard Parmesan is not vegetarian, so check the label if that matters at your table. If you are in an Italian mood this week, our garlic-butter-prawn-linguine makes a fine partner on another night.
Tips before you layer
Pat the salted slices properly dry — the salt can only do its job if the moisture it draws out is wiped away rather than roasted back in. Build the layers thinner than feels generous: sauce, aubergine, mozzarella, repeat, and finish with sauce and cheese rather than aubergine, which dries out exposed. Rest the finished dish for ten minutes before cutting, or the layers will slide apart on the plate.
Storage and reheating
Parmigiana may be better on day two, once the layers have settled. It keeps for three days in the fridge and reheats at 180°C (160°C fan, gas mark 4) for 20 minutes, covered for the first half. It also freezes well for up to three months; defrost overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Frequently asked questions
Can I assemble it ahead?
Yes — build the whole dish, cover and refrigerate for up to a day, then bake from cold adding ten minutes to the time.
What do I serve with it?
A plain green salad with a sharp dressing and bread for the sauce. It needs nothing heavier.
Aubergine Parmigiana with Rich Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 large aubergines (about 700 g), cut into 5 mm slices
- Fine sea salt, for salting and seasoning
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, finely sliced
- 2 × 400 g tins chopped tomatoes
- A pinch of caster sugar
- A large handful of basil leaves, torn
- 125 g mozzarella, torn and drained
- 50 g vegetarian Italian-style hard cheese, finely grated
- 30 g fresh breadcrumbs
Instructions
- Layer the aubergine slices in a colander with a good sprinkling of salt and leave for 20 minutes. Rinse quickly, pat very dry and brush with half the oil.
- Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan, gas mark 6). Roast the slices on two lined trays for 20–25 minutes, turning once, until golden and tender.
- Meanwhile soften the onion in the remaining oil for 8 minutes, add the garlic for 1 minute, then the tomatoes, sugar and a pinch of salt. Simmer for 20 minutes until thick. Stir in the basil.
- Spread a third of the sauce in a roughly 20 × 30 cm dish. Layer aubergine, mozzarella and sauce twice more, finishing with sauce.
- Scatter over the hard cheese and breadcrumbs. Bake for 25–30 minutes until bubbling and deep gold. Rest for 10 minutes before serving.
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