Parmigiana di Melanzane

Parmigiana di melanzane is layers of fried eggplant baked with tomato sauce, mozzarella and parmesan until the whole dish sets into a single sliceable block. It's southern Italy's eggplant bake, and despite the name, it has nothing to do with the city of Parma — the "parmigiana" here most likely points to the grated hard cheese layered through it, not its origin.

What it actually is

Eggplant, sliced into rounds, is salted to draw out its bitterness, then fried until soft and golden. The slices are layered in a baking dish alternating with a simple tomato sauce, torn basil, sliced mozzarella and grated parmesan, repeated several times, then baked until the cheese melts through every layer and the whole dish firms up enough to cut into clean squares once it rests.

That resting time matters: a parmigiana cut straight from the oven collapses into sauce on the plate; given twenty minutes to settle, it holds its layers when sliced.

How it's served

• Cut into squares, rested for at least fifteen minutes after baking.
• Warm rather than hot, since it holds together better once it's cooled slightly.
• As a main course on its own, or a substantial side to grilled meat.

Writing it on a menu

• Flag dairy clearly; the mozzarella and parmesan carry it throughout.
• It's naturally vegetarian, worth flagging plainly on a menu.
• Say if you salt and fry the eggplant fresh, since a properly drained slice fries drier and less oily than a rushed one.
• Mention that it's better rested, not straight from the oven, if serving times allow for it.