Authentic Parmigiana (Calabria) Recipe Calabria, Italy

Peel the eggplants, then cut into not overly thin slices, about 0.5 cm (1/4-inch) thick — cut the round eggplants crosswise and the long eggplants lengthways. Sprinkle the slices with salt, then press on them with a heavy plate, and leave like that for an hour. Once the hour has passed, rinse them and squeeze them.

Fry the long eggplant slices in oil, then place them on paper towels to drain. Roast the round eggplant slices on a cast iron grill pan until lightly browned.

Prepare the tomato passata from scratch or use a store-bought one. In any case, add a bit of chili pepper for heat.

Slice the fior di latte, the prosciutto cotto or mortadella, and hard-boiled eggs. Wash and tear the basil.

Spread a thin layer of tomato sauce on the bottom of the baking dish, then sprinkle with breadcrumbs, and arrange a single layer of fried eggplants on top.

Then, spread the tomato sauce over the eggplants, top it with mozzarella and prosciutto cotto or mortadella, followed by a layer of hard-boiled eggs. Cover with a layer of roasted eggplants. Repeat until you've used up all the roasted eggplant.

For the final layer, spread with tomato sauce, top with mozzarella and prosciutto cotto or mortadella, then cover with a layer of hard-boiled eggs. Finish with a layer of fried eggplant slices then spread the remaining tomato sauce over the eggplant, and sprinkle with Parmigiano Reggiano and breadcrumbs.

Bake in a 180°C/350°F oven for 40 minutes.

Let cool to room temperature, then serve. Alternatively, you can serve it cold the following day on its own or mixed with spaghetti and butter.