MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.06
 
      Title: Parmigiana Di Melanzane
 Categories: Italian
      Yield: 6 Servings
 
      2 lg Eggplants (1-1/2 lb)
  1 1/2 lb Chunky pureed tomatoes
           -(passata)
      1    White onion
      1 bn Basil
    1/2 lb Mozzarella cheese; cut into
           -cubes
    3/4 c  Parmesan cheese; freshly
           -grated
    1/2 tb Olive oil
           Flour; for dusting
           Sunflower oil; for frying
           Salt and pepper; to season
 
  Thinly slice the eggplant then place them in a colander. Sprinkle them
  lightly with salt and set them aside for 1 hour.
  
  Meanwhile, make the simple tomato sauce. Finely chop onion and saute
  in a pan with the olive oil until translucent and soft but not
  browned. Add the passata and the basil torn with your hands. Add a
  pinch of salt and pepper, stir then let it simmer gently for 10 to 15
  minutes. Set aside.
  
  Rinse the eggplant slices under cold water and pat them dry with a
  kitchen towel or paper. Lightly dust them with flour, shaking off any
  excess then fry them in sunflower oil for a few seconds each side,
  drain on kitchen paper to remove any excess oil.
  
  Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4.
  
  Spoon a small amount of tomato sauce into the bottom of a baking dish
  and spread it around, this will stop the eggplant from sticking. I
  used an 11x8" oval dish but a rectangle or square dish around the
  same size will work too e.g 10x8".
  
  Next add one layer of eggplant to the dish followed by a sprinkling of
  parmesan, cubes of mozzarella, a sprinkling of pepper, and couple
  spoons of tomato sauce (save 1/3 of the sauce for the final layer).
  Continue with the next layer until you have one top layer left.
  
  For the top layer, spoon over the remaining tomato sauce and top with
  parmesan and mozzarella. Cover loosely with foil and bake for 20
  minutes, remove the foil, and bake for another 20 minutes until nice
  and golden and bubbling on top. Let it rest for 5 minutes before
  serving.
  
  Recipe by Emily Kemp, insidetherustickitchen.com
 
MMMMM