Recipe: Tasty Vegetarian parmigiana

Vegetarian parmigiana. This aubergine parmigiana recipe is a brilliant vegetarian alternative to a lasagne. Get stuck into layers of slow-cooked tomato and aubergine - yum!! Seems like an awful lot of salt.

Below is a list of places where vegetarian Parmesan-like hard Italian-style cheeses can be found: Twineham Grange Vegetarian Pasta cheese from Bookhams is lovely and can be bought online and from Waitrose. Chances are, it was made with animal rennet, an enzyme that helps milk separate into curds and whey. That's because, according to EU law, Parmesan must contain just three ingredients: milk, salt, and—yup—animal rennet. You can have Vegetarian parmigiana using 4 ingredients and 7 steps. Here is how you achieve it.

Ingredients of Vegetarian parmigiana

1. It's of Tomato sauce - I make mine from 2 tinned tomatoes or use passata.
2. You need 2 of aubergines.
3. Prepare 350-400 g of dry mozzarella.
4. It's 2-3 handfuls of Parmesan cheese grated.

Anything else, and it can't be called Parmesan (or "Parmigiano-Reggiano," as it's known in Italy). Cheeses from a specific location need to follow a consistent recipe to be recognised as having specific names. In the case of Parmigiano-Reggiano, or Parmesan cheese, this means always using animal rennet. Parmesan, which takes its name from the three places it's made (Parma, Reggio Emilia and Bologna), is not vegetarian because its production involves the killing of animals.

Vegetarian parmigiana step by step

1. Cut the aubergines in thin strips - as much the same thickness as possible.
2. Grill them under the grill - this step is essential to remove water from the aubergines. Following the classic recipe You should leave the slices with rock salt under a cloth for an hour allowing the water to escape ahead of cooking. I rarely have time for this step.
3. In an oven dish with a tiny bit of oil at the bottom start by layering the aubergine so that it covers the bottom.
4. Add 1/2 of the tomato sauce or passata on top covering the aubergines.
5. Sprinkle some Parmesan and then the mozzarella.
6. Repeat another layer and finish with tomato, Parmesan and some mozzarella.
7. Cook in the oven for 20 min at 180-200 degrees depending on your oven.

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. Liberally sprinkle salt over the sliced eggplant and place in a colander over the sink. Heat the oil in a large frying pan (or wide saucepan), add the garlic, thyme and sage, and cook gently for a few mins. Vegan Parmesan can be easily made with nutritional yeast, nuts or seeds of choice, a bit of seasoning, salt and garlic. Depending on the nut or seed used, you will need a bit more seasoning or salt.

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