Rich and comforting, this Italian baked dish of sliced aubergines, tomato sauce and oozy mozzarella cheese is a real crowd-pleaser. Parmigiana is also called parmigiana di melanzane, melanzane alla parmigiana or in the UK, aubergine parmigiana. In the United States, the mozzarella and tomato sauce topping are used on top of breaded chicken breast for a non-traditional twist.

parmigiana is so easy to make and tastes wonderful. It's simpler than a lasagne and lighter, too. The tomato sauce can be doubled and frozen for another easy dinner.

Each serving provides 390 kcal, 20g protein, 14g carbohydrate (of which 13g sugars), 24g fat (of which 11g saturates), 6.5g fibre and 1.3g salt.

Prepare

less than 30 mins

Cook

30 mins to 1 hour

Serve

Serves 4

Dietary

Egg-free

Gluten-free

Nut-free

Pregnancy-friendly

Vegetarian

Ingredients

For the aubergine

• 2 large aubergines, sliced into thin slices about a 5mm/¼in thick
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 100g/3½oz ricotta
• 100g/3½oz Parmesan, grated (or alternative vegetarian hard cheese)
• 100g/3½oz mozzarella, sliced
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the tomato sauce

• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 red onion, finely chopped
• a good splash olive oil
• 2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 125ml/4fl oz red wine

Method

Brush the aubergine slices with olive oil on both sides to coat. Heat a griddle pan and cook the aubergines for a couple of minutes on both sides until lightly browned. Set aside while you get on with the tomato sauce.

Heat a large frying pan. Fry the garlic and onion with a little oil until soft. Add the chopped tomatoes, oregano and wine. Simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the sauce thickens.

Preheat the oven to 220C/200C Fan/Gas 7.

In a medium-sized roasting tin, spread a little tomato sauce over the bottom of the tin. Add a layer of aubergine slices and spread another layer of tomato sauce on top.

Spread half the ricotta on the top and sprinkle with Parmesan, salt and pepper. Continue to repeat the layers until all the aubergine is used. Finish with a layer of mozzarella slices topped with a final sprinkle of Parmesan. Bake for 25 minutes.

Serve the parmigiana hot with a green salad alongside. This dish reheats well if you have any leftovers.

Recipe tips

If cooking for vegetarians, just make sure the cheese is free from animal rennet.

You can freeze this dish for up to a month.