Melanzane di parmigiana iddsi level 6 -Soft and bitesized

By Deb Cianfagna

THIS RECIPE IS GLUTEN FREE. This melanzane came about when I married into an Italian family. As I have a wheat intolerance my mother in law, Lucia, began to make gluten free lasagna for me. She didn't feel she could balance the textures, however, and it constantly came out too dry. This year on my birthday, she produced melanzane di parmigiana as a substitute. It was so moist and delicious I have adapted it to bring you this IDDSI Level 6 soft and bitesized version.

If using bolognese, ensure the mince fits in between the fork prongs (4mm) to comply with IDDSI level 6. We blitzed our mince with a stick blender to soften it, as initially it was clumping together.

Ingredients

  • 2 large eggplant, around 700g
  • Gluten free flour for dusting
  • Passata chunky 700g (any chunks must be under 1.5cm) (or minced bolognese)
  • Ricotta cheese 250g
  • 3/4 cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, freshly grated 70g
  • 1/2 tbsp olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to season
We substituted in ricotta and parmesan instead of mozzarella, which can be chewy. Ricotta is soft even when cooked and holds together well.

Method

Step 1. Cut the eggplant into 1.5cm cubes, and grill on a tray with olive oil and salt for 15 minutes. Turn if needed.

Step 2. Layer melanzane, passata (or minced bolognese) ricotta, parmesan and repeat so there are two layers in a 20 x15cm pyrex dish.

Step 3. Preheat oven to 180 or 160 fan forced. Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes.

Step 4. Serve and enjoy!

IDDSI Level 6 Fork Test
IDDSI Level 6 Soft and bite sized texture sheet

*While we have done our best to ensure this recipe adheres to IDDSI standards, because it is made at home and not in a text kitchen we cannot guarantee every aspect is IDDSI compliant.