Learn to make the eggplant parmigiana from Sapori di Napoli
My wife and mother-in-law enjoyed the eggplant parmigiana at Sapori di Napoli in Decatur. It was the most unique eggplant parmigiana they had ever eaten and they can’t stop talking about it! They described the eggplant as being sliced razor thin, which gave the dish amazing texture, and they loved the rich, full-bodied tomato sauce. I would love to surprise them with this recipe. Any chance the fine folks at Sapori di Napoli would be willing to share it?! — Branden Johnson, Snellville
As it turns out, Sapori di Napoli chef and co-owner Ambrogio Florio was willing to share the recipe.
Florio and his brother Daniele were born in Naples. Their restaurant takes inspiration from meals they enjoyed in Agerola, a small town on the Amalfi Coast, where their father was raised.
This dish is one of the restaurant’s specialties. Eggplant, thinly sliced and then salted to draw out the bitterness, is fried and then layered with the restaurant’s tomato sauce, buffalo mozzarella, Parmigiano-Reggiano and fresh basil. We weren’t able to find buffalo mozzarella when we tested the recipe, so we used cow’s milk mozzarella. It was still delicious.
Sapori di Napoli is open Tuesday through Sunday with limited seating.
- 2 medium eggplants (about 2 pounds)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Vegetable oil, for frying
- 1/4 all-purpose flour, or as needed
- 3 large eggs
- 6-8 ounces mozzarella di bufala, cut into thin slices, divided
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, divided
- 2 tablespoons grated Pecorino Romano, divided
- 1 small handful fresh basil leaves, divided
- 4 1/2 cups Tomato Sauce (see recipe), or as needed
- Shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano, for garnish
- Cut the caps off the eggplant and cut lengthwise into 1/8-inch thick slices. Arrange the eggplant in a single layer on several baking sheets. Sprinkle with salt on both sides of each slice and allow to rest 1 hour. After an hour, gently rinse with cold water and dry slices thoroughly with a kitchen towel. In a large skillet, heat 1/2-inch oil until it just begins to smoke lightly.
- While oil is heating, put the flour in a pie plate. In another pie plate, whisk the eggs with a little salt and pepper. Dip each eggplant slice in the flour and shake of any excess, then dip in the egg mixture. Using kitchen tongs, move the eggplant to the skillet and cook until golden brown on both sides about 1 minute per side. Do not crowd skillet. Remove eggplant and transfer to a baking sheet lined with paper towels. Continue until all eggplant is cooked.
- Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, spread 1 1/2 cups tomato sauce across the bottom. Add a layer of fried eggplant. Top with a quarter of the mozzarella and sprinkle with a teaspoon of Parmigiano-Reggiano and a teaspoon of Pecorino Romano. Sprinkle with basil. Repeat layering with sauce, eggplant, mozzarella, Parmigiano- Reggiano, Pecorino Romano and basil until you have four layers, but for the last layer, end with mozzarella on top. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until everything has heated through and the cheese is melted. Garnish with shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano when serving. Serves: 6
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per serving: 381 calories (percent of calories from fat, 56), 15 grams protein, 29 grams carbohydrates, 7 grams fiber, 25 grams total fat (8 grams saturated), 91 milligrams cholesterol, 792 milligrams sodium.- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 (28-ounce) cans San Marzano whole tomatoes
- 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
- Kosher salt and pepper
- In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add tomatoes plus juice and use a wooden spoon to break up some of the tomatoes. Reduce heat, add basil and cook 45 minutes over low heat, stirring occasionally. Continue cooking, if necessary, until tomatoes have almost completely broken down. Taste for seasoning. Sauce can be made ahead and stored 3 days in the refrigerator. Makes: 7 1/2 cups
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per 1/2 cup: 80 calories (percent of calories from fat, 44), 1 gram protein, 10 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fiber, 4 grams total fat (1 gram saturated), no cholesterol, 351 milligrams sodium.From the menu of ... Sapori di Napoli, 314 Church St., Decatur. 404-371-0001, saporidinapolipizzeria.com.
Is there a recipe from a metro Atlanta restaurant you’d like to make at home? Tell us and we’ll try to get it. We’ll also test it and adapt it for the home kitchen. Because of volume, we can’t answer all inquiries. Send your request, your address and phone number to fromthemenu@gmail.com and put “From the menu of” and the name of the restaurant in the subject line.
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