Cheesy Eggplant Florentine (melanzane Fiorentina)

May 09, 2023May 9, 20230 3
Cheesy Eggplant Florentine - A Creamy and Tasty Italian Dish
in Vegetarian

Prep

30 min

Cook

25 min

Ready In

55 min

Level

Easy

Rating

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars
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Ingredients

2 medium peeled eggplants
salt
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup olive oil
1 1/2 cups tomato sauce
1 lb shredded mozzarella cheese
1 tablespoon dried basil

Nutrision Information

Servings Per Recipe
6
Calories
410
Sugar
9g
Fat
30g
Cheesy Eggplant Florentine (Melanzane Fiorentina in Italian) is a dish that hails from the region of Tuscany in Italy. It is a popular dish in the country, especially in the Florence area. The dish is made by coating fried eggplant slices with tomato sauce, and a generous amount of cheese before baking it in the oven. This dish is perfect for a family dinner because it is easy to make, filling, and tasty. It is also a great way of incorporating more vegetables into your diet!

Instructions

1.Cut the eggplants into round slices of approximately 1/2 inch.
2.Place the eggplant slices in a colander and sprinkle salt over them.
3.Let the eggplants sit for 30 minutes to release the excess water.
4.Rinse the eggplant slices and dry them off with a paper towel.
5.Coat the eggplant slices with flour.
6.Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium heat and fry the eggplant slices until golden brown.
7.Preheat the oven to 375°F.
8.Take a baking dish and add a ladle of tomato sauce at the bottom.
9.Place a single layer of eggplant slices over it and add more tomato sauce.
10.Add a layer of mozzarella cheese on top of the eggplant slices.
11.Sprinkle dried basil over the cheese.
12.Repeat the layers of eggplant slices and tomato sauce, then top off with a generous layer of mozzarella cheese and dried basil.
13.Cover with foil and bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.
14.Remove the foil and bake for another 10-15 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and golden brown.
15.Let the dish rest for 5 minutes prior to serving.

PROS

Cheesy Eggplant Florentine is a creamy and delicious vegetarian dish that is full of flavor.

It is a great way of incorporating more vegetables into your diet, as eggplant is rich in fiber, vitamins, and minerals.

The cheese and tomato sauce add a harmonious balance of flavors that make it perfect for any meal of the day.

CONS

The dish is high in calories and fat due to the cheese and the frying of the eggplant.

The dish is also unsuitable for vegans due to the cheese content.

HEALTH & BENEFITS

Eggplant is known to be rich in antioxidants, iron, and calcium which are all crucial for promoting good health.
It also contains nasunin which is known to be a powerful antioxidant that helps protect brain cells from damage.
Tomatoes are rich in lycopene, which is an antioxidant that helps reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease.
Although the dish is high in calories and fat, it also contains good quality proteins from the cheese, eggs, and the flour used to coat the eggplants.

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