Italian · Authentic-ish Italian
Melanzane alla Parmigiana
282 kcal a serving, against 635 for the traditional version. That is 353 kcal off, or 56%, with 15.9g of protein. Serves 6. 1 hour 30 minutes.
What the traditional version is
Thick slices of aubergine, heavily dusted in seasoned plain flour and deep-fried in vast quantities of olive oil until collapsing. Layered in a heavy baking dish with a rich tomato sauce, handfuls of fresh basil, torn mozzarella and a thick blanket of parmesan, then baked until furiously bubbling.
What changed, and what each change costs
Deep-frying 1.2kg of aubergine in 300g of oil down to grilling it with 30g
Aubergines absorb fat like absolutely nothing else on earth. Dropping the frying removes a staggering amount of fat from the pan. That lets the protein from the cheese do the heavy lifting for the meal.
What it costs you. You lose that melting, rich texture the oil brings. Grilled aubergine has a bit more chew and bite. You end up with a firmer, cleaner dish. The version that's a perfect replica is still out there and still better.
400g of mozzarella down to 200g, and 150g of parmesan down to 80g
There's still plenty of cheese here. I just concentrate it exactly where it matters most. The mozzarella goes strictly in the middle layers, while the parmesan goes exclusively on top to form a hard crust.
What it costs you. The middle layers are noticeably less stringy. You get pools of cheese rather than a solid, impenetrable wall of dairy.
Dropping the flour dusting entirely
You simply don't need it if you aren't frying. Flour just burns on a hot grill pan and tastes bitter.
What it costs you. You lose the thin crust the flour gave the fried version, which held a little sauce against the aubergine. Grill the slices hard enough to get real colour on them and the browning does that job instead. Do it half-heartedly and the layers slide apart when you cut it.
The numbers
| Per serving | Traditional | Lightened |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 635 | 282 |
| Protein | 28.4g | 15.9g |
| Fat | 46.9g | 16.5g |
| Saturated fat | 16.6g | 7.4g |
| Carbohydrate | 28.4g | 20.9g |
| Protein per 100 kcal | 4.5g | 5.7g |
Every figure is computed from the recipe's own weighed ingredient list against public food composition databases. The appendix in Authentic-ish Italian prints the exact database row used for each ingredient, so any number here can be checked.
Allergens. milk.
The method is in the book
The traditional version is a masterpiece, but it leaves you terribly heavy. This version gives you the charred vegetable flavour, the sharp tomato and the satisfying cheesy crust, but you can actually move afterwards. It stands on its own perfectly well. You get the crunch from the baked parmesan and the soft middle, without the sheer volume of fat weighing you down.
The quantities and the method for this dish are in Authentic-ish Italian, along with 59 more. It is not out yet. The swap kit is free in the meantime.