Grilled Eggplant Parmigiana

Method

1. Prepare the tomato sauce: in a pan, heat olive oil and add chopped onion. Cook until softened, then add tomato puree and a little water (rinse the jug). Add salt, stir, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
2. Prepare the eggplants: remove the stem and slice lengthwise into 7-8 mm thick slices.
3. Grill the eggplant slices on a hot grill pan for about 2 minutes per side, until nice grill marks appear.
4. Assemble the parmigiana: spread a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of a baking dish.
5. Place a layer of grilled eggplant slices, slightly overlapping.
6. Cover with more sauce, fresh basil leaves, grated cheese, and torn mozzarella (drained of excess liquid).
7. Repeat layers until all ingredients are used, finishing with a layer of sauce, basil, and a generous amount of grated cheese (no mozzarella on top).
8. Drizzle with olive oil and a grind of black pepper.
9. Bake in a preheated oven at 200°C for about 50 minutes, until bubbly and golden.
10. Let rest a few minutes before serving. Buon appetito!