Eggplant Parmigiana Bites recipe (aka Parma Party Bites)
Eggplant Parmigiana Bites are a celebratory twist on my Mum’s eggplant parmigiana. Rather than creating an entire traybake, eggplant rounds are individually sauced, topped with mozzarella, dusted with Parmigiano Reggiano and garnished with a basil leaf to create individual bite-sized portions. These are so moreish and perfect served at parties, hence the nickname: Parma Party Bites.
You can prepare the eggplants and sauce ahead of time, so before guests arrive all you need to do is assemble and bake, ideal as these little bites are best served warm.
Please note that depending on the size of your eggplants, you may have slightly more or less bites. This recipe works for two eggplants roughly 615 – 790 grams in weight. If you have narrower eggplants, you may only require 1 oven tray, and if you have larger/wider eggplants, you’ll need two. If you’re in the latter camp, when baking your eggplants, you can add both trays in the oven at the same time, but the eggplants on the bottom tray will need a few more minutes to cook through. Once the eggplants on the top tray are done, take them out and place the second tray up a rack to finish cooking.
Please also note that after being baked in the oven, the eggplants will be a little delicate so if using a fork, lift or flip them very gently, or use a spatula instead.
In the recipe I’ve called for a piece of Parmigiano Reggiano. This is so that you can finely grate the Parmigiano on the spot before serving your eggplant parmigiana bites. This creates a soft, airy cloud of Parmigiano that looks appetising and melts in your mouth. If you can’t find a wedge or piece of Parmigiano Reggiano, pre-grated is fine but won’t achieve the same light texture and look.
Enjoy the parma party!
Eggplant Parmigiana Bites recipe
Makes roughly 15 bites
2 medium-sized eggplants
1.5 heaped teaspoons fine sea salt
30g + 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
1 garlic clove, minced
30-40g red onion, very finely diced (roughly half a whole medium red onion)
½ tablespoon tomato paste
180g passata
16 medium-sized basil leaves, divided
120g fresh mozzarella (drained weight from a fresh mozzarella ball)
20g piece of Parmigiano Reggiano
Optional
1 heaped teaspoon caster sugar
Line two oven trays with baking parchment and set aside. (Depending on the size of your eggplants, you may only require one tray).
Cut and discard the eggplant tops, then slice the eggplants widthways into 1.5 – 2 cm circles.
Place the eggplants on the tray/s and sprinkle the salt across both sides of the eggplants. Set aside for 45 minutes.
In a medium sized saucepan on medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and once heated, add the garlic and onion. Let the garlic and onions sweat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Stir through the tomato paste and passata and allow everything to come to a gentle boil.
Add 1 basil leaf to the sauce, stir, then simmer on low-medium heat for 10 minutes.
Taste the sauce. Depending on the passata, the sauce should be slightly sweet and pleasant enough to lick off a spoon. If not, then stir through with a little of the sugar at a time until the flavour is more agreeable, then turn off the heat and set aside.
Preheat oven to 200C.
Now we return to the eggplants. Pat both sides of the eggplants and baking parchment dry with a paper towel.
Use the remaining olive oil to brush both sides of the eggplant well. Place trays in the middle and lower racks in preheated oven for 15 minutes. If you have just one tray of eggplants, place them on the middle rack.
Remove the top tray of eggplants from the oven. Transfer the bottom tray to the middle rack for 5 more minutes or until the eggplants are lightly golden. Remove from the oven.
Using a spatula, gently flip all the eggplants to the uncooked side and bake for another 15 minutes.
Remove the top tray of eggplants and set aside, then transfer the bottom tray to the middle rack again and cook for another 5 minutes or until golden and set aside.
Cut the mozzarella ball in half lengthways then in 4-5mm slices widthways and set aside.
Depending on their size, add ½ to 1 tablespoon of the tomato sauce on each eggplant circle. Spread a lean layer of the sauce out just before the outer edge/circumference, as if saucing a pizza.
Set oven to the grill setting of 275C
Add a piece of mozzarella to the middle of each eggplant circle, matching the larger slices of mozzarella with the larger eggplants, and the smaller pieces of mozzarella with the smaller eggplants.
Place one tray of the eggplants topped with sauce and mozzarella in the middle shelf for 2-4 minutes, or until the mozzarella becomes molten and slightly golden. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes.
Now repeat the above with the second tray of eggplants topped with sauce and mozzarella.
Transfer your Eggplant Parmigiana Bites to a large serving plate and grate the Parmigiano Reggiano across each one (or a generous sprinkling of pre-grated Parmigiano).
Place an individual basil leaf on top of each eggplant round. If your basil leaves are too large for the eggplant circles, simply tear the basil into smaller pieces.
Serve warm as an appetiser, at your next aperitivo hour or as a dinner party starter. If you have leftover eggplant bites, use them as a delicious panino filling.
