Vegetable Parmigiana
- Difficulty: Easy
- Prep time: 45 min
- Cook time: 60 min
- Serving: 6
PRESENTATION
Vegetable parmigiana really brings those sunny Southern Italy vibes right to your table. Hailing from places like Campania and Sicily, it's super fresh. The dish is a lighter twist on the classic eggplant parmesan—normally fried, but not this time. Nope, you get grilled eggplant, zucchini, and colorful peppers, all layered with a moist tomato sauce, lots of gooey mozzarella, and a perfect sprinkle of parmigiano. And the fresh basil on top? Makes it smell amazing.
This vegetarian parmesan recipe is perfect when you want something filling but still easy on the stomach—especially when it's hot. Planning a family meal? Well, a big tray of vegetable parmigiana is the way to go. Hot out of the oven or after a little rest—so flavors can meld—it's just great. Folks in Italy say this cheesy casserole actually gets better after a few hours or even the next day. Crazy, right? Leftovers, for once, are something to look forward to.
Since the veggies are grilled instead of fried, it feels light but still has all that rich, savory goodness you expect from a baked vegetable parmesan. Throw in extra zucchini or sweet, golden bell peppers depending on what's fresh. It's super versatile—main dish or side—awesome for potlucks, family parties, or just a simple weeknight dinner. The mix of crispy cheese edges, juicy tomato sauce, and layers of summer veggies makes every bite really, really special.
This Italian vegetable bake is a favorite, especially in the summer months in Southern Italy when fresh produce is everywhere. And you know what? Whether you're serving it at a big gathering or just enjoying a quiet dinner, it captures the heart of Southern Italian cooking. Seriously good stuff.
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INGREDIENTS
- Eggplant 14 oz (400 g)
- Zucchini 3.3 cups (400 g)
- Cluster tomatoes 1.1 cups (200 g)
- Red peppers 5.5 oz (160 g)
- Yellow peppers 1.1 cups (160 g)
- Mozzarella cheese 14 oz (400 g)
- Parmigiano Reggiano PDO cheese 3.5 oz (100 g)
- Fine salt to taste
- For the sauce
- Tomato purée 1.7 cups (400 g)
- Extra virgin olive oil 2 tbsp (30 g)
- Fine salt to taste
- Garlic 1 clove
- Basil to taste
How to prepare Vegetable Parmigiana
To prepare the vegetable parmigiana start with the sauce. In a saucepan pour the extra virgin olive oil, add the garlic clove 1 and let it brown over low heat. When it is golden, add the tomato passata 2, season with salt 3 and stir. Cover with the lid, leaving it slightly ajar, and cook for about 30 minutes over medium-low heat, stirring from time to time. At the end of cooking remove the garlic and set the sauce aside.
Now take care of the vegetables. Wash and trim the eggplants 4, then cut them lengthwise into slices about 5 mm thick 6 — about 1/4 inch. Heat a grill or grill pan well, place the eggplant slices on it 6 and cook for about 2-3 minutes.
Then turn them over 7 and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Transfer them to a tray and set aside. Wash and trim the zucchini, then cut them lengthwise into slices about 2 mm thick 8 — about 1/16 inch. Grill them on the same hot plate 9 for about 2-3 minutes per side. Arrange them on a tray and let them cool slightly.
Move on to the peppers. Wash them, remove the stem, seeds and internal ribs, then cut them into segments 10. Grill them for about 3-4 minutes per side 11, until tender and slightly charred. Set these aside as well. Cut the fiordilatte mozzarella into cubes and let it drain for a few minutes in a colander so it loses excess liquid and won't make the parmigiana watery during baking. Finally wash the ramato tomatoes and slice them into pieces about 5 mm thick 12 — about 1/4 inch.
At this point assemble the parmigiana. Lightly oil the bottom of a large baking dish about 20x30 cm (about 8x12 in). Arrange a first layer of grilled eggplant slices on the bottom 13, slightly overlapping them to cover the base well. Spoon a few tablespoons of tomato sauce over them, sprinkle with grated Parmesan 14 and add some of the cubed mozzarella 15.
Continue with a layer of grilled zucchini, again slightly overlapping. Top with more tomato sauce 16, grated Parmesan, cubed mozzarella 17 and a few torn basil leaves 18.
Now add the slices of ramato tomato, arranging them evenly. For this layer you don't need to add sauce: sprinkle with grated Parmesan 19, add a few mozzarella cubes and some basil leaves 20. Then make a layer with the grilled peppers, alternating red and yellow for a more colorful effect 21.
Season with tomato sauce 22, grated Parmesan 23, cubed mozzarella and basil. Finish with a final layer of grilled eggplant 34.
Cover the surface with the remaining tomato sauce 25, add the grated Parmesan and top with the cubed mozzarella 26. The surface should be well covered so that during baking it becomes golden and melty. Bake the vegetable parmigiana in a preheated conventional oven at 356°F (180°C), on the middle rack, for about 30 minutes, or until the top is well gratinated and slightly golden. Once ready, remove from the oven 27 and let rest for about 10 minutes before serving: this will allow the layers to settle and make it easier to cut into portions.