# What is parmigiana di melanzane, and why does it take so long? Canonical: https://zestasy.com/wiki/parmigiana-di-melanzane/ Section: Zestasy Wiki > Food · Updated: 2026-10-13 · Publisher: Zestasy *Zestasy Wiki: our reference answers. Checked for facts and sources; less curated than the magazine.* Parmigiana di melanzane is a baked dish of sliced aubergine, fried and then layered with tomato sauce, Parmigiano and usually mozzarella or another melting cheese. It takes long because every stage is its own job: slicing and often salting the aubergine, frying it in batches, simmering a sauce, assembling, baking, and then resting it so it can be sliced. You can save time by roasting the aubergine instead of frying it and by making it a day ahead. Parmigiana is the dish people make for occasions and then wonder why they don't make it every week. The answer is in the method. It is not complicated, but it is a series of separate jobs, and the most time-consuming of them, frying the aubergine, is also the one that makes it so good. ## What it is The Treccani dictionary describes [parmigiana](https://www.treccani.it/vocabolario/parmigiana/) as a dish in which sliced vegetables are floured, sometimes dipped in egg, fried, and then layered in a baking dish with tomato sauce, plenty of Parmigiano and sometimes mozzarella, before being baked. Aubergine is the best-known version; Treccani also mentions courgettes and cardoons. The aubergine version is *parmigiana di melanzane*, or *melanzane alla parmigiana*. ## Where it comes from: the friendly debate Despite the name, Parma's claim is not the only one. Wikipedia's [parmigiana entry](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parmigiana) explains that the dish is variously attributed to Campania, Sicily or Parma. The Parma link is the cheese. One Sicilian explanation traces the name to *parmiciana*, a word for the slats of a louvered shutter, which the overlapping slices resemble. The food writer Clifford Wright, as Wikipedia reports, points to 19th-century Neapolitan cookbooks. Nobody has settled it, which is one of the pleasures of eating it in different places and hearing each one claim it. Regional versions differ in the details. Wikipedia notes that Neapolitan versions rarely bread the aubergine before frying, and that Campania also has a "white" parmigiana with no tomato. Some versions layer in hard-boiled eggs; some use different cheeses. The constants are aubergine, layers and the oven. ## Why it takes so long 1. **Slicing and salting.** The aubergine is sliced, and many cooks still salt it and leave it to drain, then pat it dry. In our experience today's aubergines are seldom bitter, so this is optional (see [salting aubergine](https://zestasy.com/wiki/salting-aubergine/)), but it helps the slices brown and absorb less oil. 2. **Frying in batches.** Each slice is fried until golden on both sides, a few at a time, then drained. For a full dish, this is the longest stage by far. 3. **The sauce.** A simple tomato sauce with basil, simmered until it is thick enough not to make the layers watery. 4. **Assembly.** Sauce, aubergine, cheese, repeated until the dish is full, with sauce and Parmigiano on top. 5. **Baking.** Until bubbling at the edges and golden on top. 6. **Resting.** This is the step people skip. A parmigiana straight from the oven slumps when cut. Left to settle, it slices cleanly, and the flavours come together. ## Where you can save time - **Roast or grill the aubergine instead of frying.** Brush slices with oil and roast them on trays in a hot oven, turning once, until soft and browned. It is much less hands-on, and you can do all the slices at once. The result is less rich and silky than fried, but very good. Our guide on [aubergine that isn't oily](https://zestasy.com/wiki/aubergine-not-oily/) has more. - **Use a good tin or jar for the sauce.** A passata simmered with garlic, oil and basil is entirely traditional in spirit. No shame in it. - **Skip the salting** if the aubergines are fresh, firm and glossy. - **Make it ahead.** Assemble and bake a day before, cool it, cover and refrigerate. Reheat until bubbling. Many people prefer it the second day, when it holds together better. - **Make a big one.** The effort barely increases with size. Leftovers keep well in the fridge for a couple of days. ## Avoiding a watery parmigiana - Pat aubergine slices dry before cooking. - Cook the sauce until thick. - Drain mozzarella well and tear it into small pieces, or use a drier melting cheese. - Don't overfill each layer with sauce. - Rest it before cutting. ## How to serve it Warm or at room temperature, never piping hot. A square of parmigiana with bread and a green salad is a complete dinner. Cold leftovers in a sandwich are a private joy. ## FAQ ### Should we bread the aubergine? It depends on the tradition you follow. Some fry plain slices, some flour them, some use flour and egg. Plain or floured gives a lighter, silkier result. ### Can we make parmigiana with courgettes? Yes, Treccani lists courgette versions too. Slice them lengthways, cook them well to drive off water, and layer the same way. ### Can parmigiana be frozen? Yes. Freeze it baked and cooled, in portions, and reheat in the oven until bubbling. ### Is parmigiana di melanzane the same as aubergine parmesan? Broadly, yes: the English name is a translation. Versions abroad are often breaded, a style Wikipedia's entry traces to older southern Italian methods of coating the slices in flour and egg. ## Sources - [Treccani: Parmigiana (vocabolario)](https://www.treccani.it/vocabolario/parmigiana/) - [Wikipedia: Parmigiana](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parmigiana) ## Related - [How do you cook aubergine so it isn't oily or spongy?](https://zestasy.com/wiki/aubergine-not-oily/) - [Do you need to salt aubergine before cooking it?](https://zestasy.com/wiki/salting-aubergine/) - [What is pasta alla Norma?](https://zestasy.com/wiki/pasta-alla-norma/) - [How do you make a vegetable lasagne that isn't watery?](https://zestasy.com/wiki/watery-vegetable-lasagne/) - [What is caponata?](https://zestasy.com/wiki/what-is-caponata/) - [All Food answers in the Wiki](https://zestasy.com/wiki/#food)