Treat the Family With This Delicious Aubergine Parmigiana Dish [Recipe]
The last episode of M-NET’s Sarah Graham’s Food Safari airs on Sunday, 31 January at 14:00 and if you’ve been following the weekly taste-inspired travelogue, you’ll love Sarah’s simple but super-smart approach to cooking. Here she is teaming up with Drostdy-Hof wines to introduce her crowd-pleasing Aubergine Parmigiana (Aubergine, Parmesan and Tomato Bake) – the perfect comfort food!
Aubergine Parmigiana (Aubergine, Parmesan and Tomato Bake)
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 tsp dried mixed herbs
2 x 400g tins of chopped tomatoes
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp sugar
Small handful fresh basil, chopped (plus extra to garnish)
3 medium aubergines
200g mozzarella, thinly sliced
150g Parmesan, grated
Handful breadcrumbs, lightly toasted (optional)
Method
Add a little olive oil to a pot and, at a medium heat, fry the garlic and dried herbs for 1-2 minutes until fragrant; add the tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, sugar and chopped fresh basil and leave to simmer for 20-30 minutes until reduced by about one-third.
Meanwhile, slice the aubergines lengthways into 0.75cm slices
Heat half the olive oil in a good quality, non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat and cook the aubergines in batches until golden, adding more oil as you need to. Set aside and drain on kitchen paper towels.
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Add a thin layer of the tomato sauce to a medium-sized baking dish; follow with a layer of aubergines and then slices of mozzarella and a scattering of Parmesan. Repeat and then finish off with a final layer of tomato sauce and a scattering of Parmesan and bread crumbs (if using).
Bake for about 30 minutes or until bubbling and golden, remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly. Sprinkle with a little torn basil before serving as soon as possible.
Bring to the table a fresh green side salad and don’t forget the Drostdy-Hof Natural Sweet White!