{"id":7484,"date":"2020-01-04T09:39:02","date_gmt":"2020-01-04T16:39:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/villasentieri.com\/?post_type=recipe&p=7484"},"modified":"2026-09-02T10:58:38","modified_gmt":"2026-09-02T17:58:38","slug":"melanzane-al-forno","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/villasentieri.com\/index.php\/2020\/01\/04\/melanzane-al-forno\/","title":{"rendered":"Melanzane al Forno (Eggplant Baked with Parmesan Cheese)"},"content":{"rendered":"

January 4, 2020<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Growing up I didn\u2019t like eggplant.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t much care for zucchini, either.\u00a0 Or kale.<\/p>\n

Things are a whole lot different now.<\/p>\n

As an adult, I basically haven\u2019t met a vegetable I don\u2019t like, though, naturally, I like some more than others.<\/p>\n

As with zucchini<\/a>, eggplants seem to defy the season.\u00a0 They\u2019re available year-round and the quality is consistent.\u00a0 Just look for firm, shiny ones with no soft spots or wrinkled skin and you\u2019re basically guaranteed of getting a good eggplant.<\/p>\n

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Eggplants on the vine (Photo: <\/span>Joydeep<\/a> \/ Wikimedia Commons<\/a> \/ CC BY-SA 3.0<\/a>).<\/span><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Eggplant is a versatile vegetable.\u00a0 It can be braised, baked, saut\u00e9ed, fried and steamed \u2026 and probably cooked by any other method you can think of.<\/p>\n

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Eggplant will sop up any flavor that you pair with it.\u00a0 It will also sop up large amounts of oil so one needs to be cautious about frying large pieces of eggplant in abundant oil.\u00a0 Thin slices of eggplant can be floured and fried to great advantage, however.<\/p>\n

Years ago, eggplant could be bitter but that trait has basically been bred out of the modern varieties one commonly encounters.\u00a0 The bitterness led cooks to salt and drain the eggplant to remove bitter juices.\u00a0 While this is no longer strictly necessary for control of bitterness it is still a great technique to reduce moisture content which is useful for some preparations.<\/p>\n

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Eggplants at the market in Italy.<\/span><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

America\u2019s Test Kitchen (the organization behind Cook\u2019s Illustrated and Cook\u2019s Country) has developed a method for removing water from eggplant using the microwave.\u00a0 I have lots of cooking equipment and have no qualms about using newer technology in place of older technology to simplify food prep. \u00a0However, I want the newer technology be a natural evolution from the older technology as a way to preserve (but improve) traditional food preparation.\u00a0 For example, before food processors, one would \u201cmush up\u201d food as much as possible then put it through a sieve.\u00a0 Food processors do a much better (and faster) job of \u201cmushing,\u201d sometimes to the point that the sieving step isn\u2019t necessary.<\/p>\n

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To me, that\u2019s evolutionary.\u00a0 It\u2019s a more efficient way of getting to the same outcome but staying true to the traditional method.\u00a0 Blasting eggplant in the microwave in place of salting it is not.<\/p>\n

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Beautiful eggplants ready to be made into something yummy.<\/span><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

While I have great respect for the rigor of America\u2019s Test Kitchen, some of their hacks and shortcuts really trouble me from the standpoint of maintaining and transmitting traditional foodways.\u00a0 Using V-8 juice in minestrone in place of tomato is an example.<\/p>\n

With salting, rather than microwaving, we’ll proceed to today’s recipe,\u00a0 It’s a very straightforward baked eggplant with Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.\u00a0 Somehow it manages to be WAY more than the sum of its parts.\u00a0 I urge you to try it, even if you think you don\u2019t like eggplant.

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Melanzane al Forno (Eggplant Baked with Parmesan Cheese)<\/h2>\n
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Eggplant can absorb huge quantities of oil. This method of cooking limits the amount of oil the eggplant absorbs, making it lighter. The eggplant finishes its cooking in the oven, which eliminates last minute frying just before serving dinner. Individual portions can be made by cutting the eggplant into rounds that fit inside of small ramekins.<\/div>\n
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Prep Time <\/span>30 minutes<\/span><\/span> mins<\/span><\/span><\/div>
Cook Time <\/span>1 hour<\/span><\/span> hr<\/span><\/span><\/div>
Total Time <\/span>2 hours<\/span><\/span> hrs<\/span> 30 minutes<\/span><\/span> mins<\/span><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n
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Servings: <\/span>6<\/span> people<\/span><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Ingredients
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