Aubergines and oil
Aubergines are greedy little sponges and really will soak up as much oil as you give them so take care. Too much oil and they will be horribly greasy. Not enough oil and they will be dry and not quite so delicious. It’s a balancing act!

Why do you salt aubergines?
Aubergine (I like to salt the aubergine before patting dry and roasting it. Salting it draws out the moisture, seasons it all the way through and softens it slightly. You can skip this if you’re in a rush but if you have time, it makes the best roasted aubergines!)

Do I have to slice the aubergine like that?
I would recommend it as it looks so great but if you really don’t want to, you could slice the aubergine into rounds or planks as normal. Then roast them, stack with mozzarella and tomato sauce, then roast in the oven to melt the cheese. So you essentially build your own stack, but you won’t fry in semolina.

Really in a hurry?
If you’re really in a hurry, I suppose you don’t have to soften the aubergine in the oven beforehand. You could slice it, cover it in semolina and then fry gently until it’s soft in the inside and golden on the outside - the heat cant be too high as it will need time to soften. I don’t think this way would be quite as delicious as the texture of the aubergine will be a little different and not as custardy (custardy is good). But hey, you’re going to add mozzarella and tomato sauce so it’s still going to be good.

Semolina
(this is to coat the aubergine once it’s roasted so it gets a nice golden crust in the pan). A little dusting of cornflour would also work too, or even plain flour. Do you know, as I write this I’m thinking panko breadcrumbs would be really excellent.

Tomato passata
For a smooth tomato sauce, passata is best. I really like Mutti. Of course tinned tomatoes will work too - chopped, crushed, whole, just make sure you smooth them down with a wooden spoon as best as you can. I never mind a little texture in my tomato sauce, so it’s a preference thing. You can also use a stick blender if you want it extra smooth.

Mozzarella
You want to use mozzarella balls as they are the most melty here and you can place in between the aubergine in slices. They give it a much creamier result the using grated, but of course if that’s all you have, you can use that too - it won’t take as long in the oven to melt, so adjust the time. Cant find either? Fry the aubergine until golden and crispy, pop it on top of the tomato sauce and then top with cool dollops of ricotta. Yum.

What can I serve with this?
It’s a pretty hearty dish which I often have as it is with a crispy green salad. But also lovely with a side of green veg like tenderstem broccoli. It also works well as a side dish and you could serve it alongside a meat centrepiece like roast beef or chicken. Or garlic bread would be incredible too! You don’t have to stress about it being super hot either - it’s gorgeous straight from the oven but a parmigiana is often served at room temperature and I personally am a big fan of room temperature food. That’s not to say cold by the way - room temperate food allows you to really taste the full flavour of the food, food straight from the fridge often doesn’t taste of much. Very important to give things time to get to room temperature if you take them from the fridge.

That’s it from me this week! Working on something exciting to tell you about soon. Happy Bank Holiday and