Eggplant Parmigiana

This dish makes me think of the blissful Il Fornillo beach (a small pebbly bay before the main beach of Positano, in the Campania region of Italy) and its orange and green striped sun loungers, where I ate parmigiana melanzana between two slabs of bread at the beach side cafe, after a morning rotation of swimming, sunbathing and reading. I have since discovered that eggplant/aubergine/melanzana (mad apple) is originally from South Asia and was brought to Europe by the Arabs from Persia and first to Moorish Spain.

Il Fornillo, 500+ steps down, only accessible on foot or by boat

Spiaggia del Fornillo, Saracen Tower of Clavel

Ingredients
2 medium eggplant, cut into 1 centimetre rounds
2- 3 tablespoons olive oil
1 jar passatta
Fresh mozzarella
Freshly ground black pepper and sea salt
Basil leaves
Grated parmesan or emmental (optional)

Method
Heat a large frying pan on medium, add the olive oil, then lower the temperature and cook the first batch of eggplant in one layer. After a few minutes turn the eggplant over and place a raw slice on top of the cooked side, allowing the olive oil to be absorbed on to the upper round. This will avoid the dish being too greasy and you can use less oil. The eggplant initially sponges up the olive oil but releases it once it is cooked.

Cook until translucent and brown speckled.

Once all the eggplant discs are translucent and lightly browned, remove from the pan on to a plate. Return to the frying pan and add the passata. When the sauce is rich and bubbling, arrange the eggplant in layers to cover the surface of the skillet. Gently push the eggplant into the tomato so that it coats the slices.

Break the Mozzarella cheese into segments and arrange in a spiral over the top. Season with freshly ground black pepper and sea salt and add the optional small handful of grated parmesan or emmental. Cover the pan and allow to simmer until the cheese has melted.

To serve, scatter over the freshly torn basil leaves and devour with warm crusty bread.