Those Italians sure know how to eat. And I sure do love to join them for any meal they care to include me in.
The antipasto ... the sauces ... the pasta ... the cheese ... it's all so good.
My love for good Italian food started at an early age.
You see I was fortunate enough to grow up with mostly Italian friends. I also had an Italian uncle who taught one of my favorite aunts to forgo her Hungarian past, and cook as though she was raised a full-blooded Italian.
Let's just say I've had my fair share of amazing homemade meals cooked by authentic Italian moms.
Moms who always seemed to be cooking, no matter what time of day I was there.
Moms who the minute I walked in the door yelled, "Rebecca, you're too thin! Mangia, mangia!"
Fortunately, I was also born with a super-fast metabolism. So I was able keep up with anything they threw at me. 🙂
Well, that's not entirely true. There was ONE dish that I simply could not stand. It was so mushy, and gross, and seemed way too greasy for zero enjoyment.
That's right. I'm talking about eggplant parmigiana.
But about a year ago I came across a true authentic recipe, and found that the eggplant isn't really supposed to be breaded and fried. So I decided to give it a second chance.
Well ... let me just say oh my! This eggplant parmigiana is SO amazing. The texture of the eggplant is incredible (not mushy at all!) and actually tastes like you're eating lasagna, only there isn't any meat or pasta.
Now I will warn you - it does take a little bit of time to prepare. So I recommend making it for a Sunday dinner, or another day when you can just enjoy cooking, and not feel rushed or stressed.
And if you've seen this recipe on WhatToCookWhen.com before, note that I've made some more changes since the last time. The biggest change is that I tested the recipe using spray olive oil instead of lightly frying the eggplant in olive oil, and it turned out even more amazing.
So the next time you want a a healthy yet amazing Italian dish, grab a bottle of chianti and practice saying mangia. You have the perfect recipe for an authentic eggplant parmigiana that will give you all of the enjoyment with only a fraction of the fat and calories.
Until our next meal,
Rebecca
Authentic Eggplant Parmigiana
Eggplant Parmigiana
