![](https://assets.zuckerjagdwurst.com/8n84akcptiyqpynaioopkptjyyqx/1110/701/55/true/center/R916-Parmigiana-di-Melanzane-17.jpg?animated=false)
Vegan Eggplant Casserole (Parmigiana di melanzane)
Oh, povera melanzana, purtroppo conosco troppe persone che non la sopportano. Oh, sorry, I got a little too lost in the dolce vita after a bite of Italian eggplant casserole. Even if you don't like eggplants (as some people unfortunately do), I promise this summery take on a lasagne will win you over. At the very least, it will make you forget that any eggplants are involved.
In addition to eggplants, the casserole dish today contains tomato sauce, several types of vegan cheese, and everything baked at the end. You're probably wondering why you should do all of this in the middle of summer. Still, the Italians' trick is quite simple: parmigiana di melanzane is eaten lukewarm at most, preferably even completely chilled. Nevertheless, we don't want to spend a long time in the kitchen in summer. That's why I've simplified the recipe in a few places, and there are even more shortcuts. Siete pronti? Are you ready?
Number 1: The eggplant slices. You can salt slices of eggplant, leave them to stand for an hour, bread them and then fry them until they are crispy. And it tastes fabulous, oh, what am I saying, it even tastes favoloso! You can also fry the eggplant directly in a pan or on the grill. I tested both and didn't notice much difference in the casserole itself later on. Therefore, the fried version is sufficient for this recipe and saves you a lot of time.
Number 2:The tomato sauce. Of course, you can also use cold seasoned tomatoes or chunky canned tomatoes and add them to the casserole dish. You can even use a ready-made sauce. We won't tell you, but with our preparation, we have found a middle ground between convenience and tomato sauce perfection. The sauce doesn't simmer for hours, but at least we sweat a little onion and garlic and leave the sauce on the stove for a few minutes.
Number 3: The vegan cheese. Again, we've splurged a little to show you that we go the extra mile for this delicious vegetable casserole. We didn't buy the vegan mozzarella; we made it ourselves. It simply tastes better to us than the versions you can buy, but of course, you can do the same and save yourself some work. We bought the vegan Parmesan, but you could also make it yourself. If you don't like either or can't find it in your local store, you can also make a small vegan béchamel or use vegan sprinkled cheese or even vegan feta. Or go wild and add a little vegan yogurt or sour cream for creaminess. No, of course, this is no longer the southern Italian summer classic, but it's still a delicious meal - and that's all that matters. Buon appetito!
![R916 Vegan Eggplant Casserole (Parmigiana di melanzane)](https://assets.zuckerjagdwurst.com/cg7dh0k4i314cfhmncsvi273gz10/1110/825/65/true/center/R916-Parmigiana-di-Melanzane-hoch1.jpg?animated=false)
![R916 Vegan Eggplant Casserole (Parmigiana di melanzane)](https://assets.zuckerjagdwurst.com/ybzi4wzhoqxpsyuxmwm9s5iwepw3/1110/825/65/true/center/R916-Parmigiana-di-Melanzane-hoch2.jpg?animated=false)
![R916 Vegan Eggplant Casserole (Parmigiana di melanzane)](https://assets.zuckerjagdwurst.com/x9lvyvic1qv5m5b10linf1339rpn/1110/825/65/true/center/R916-Parmigiana-di-Melanzane-hoch3.jpg?animated=false)
![Banner Steady](https://assets.zuckerjagdwurst.com/qmuii8oddfzugzebsgjfm5nnu5py/375/375/75/true/center/Z%26J-Banner-Steady-Newsletter-Mobil-004.jpg?animated=false)
Vegan Eggplant Casserole (Parmigiana di melanzane)
Ingredients
For the vegan mozzarella cheese:
- 200 g (7 oz) cashews (soaked for at least 30 minutes)
- 300 ml (1.25 cups) water
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 70 g (2.5 oz) tapioca starch
- 0.5 tsp salt
- 2 tsp agaranta
- 50 ml (0.25 cup) water
For the eggplants:
- 3–4 eggplants
- olive oil for frying
- salt
For the tomato sauce:
- 1 onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 800 g (28 oz) chopped canned tomatoes
- 1 tbsp vegan white wine vinegar
- olive oil
- salt
- pepper
Also:
- 100 g (3.5 oz) vegan Parmesan cheese
- 4 tbsp breadcrumbs
- bread for serving
Instructions
Soak cashews in water for at least 30 minutes. Drain and blend with water, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, tapioca starch, and salt until smooth. Season with salt to taste.
Place a bowl of ice-cold water next to the stove. Stir the agaranta into the water, boil, and simmer for 2–3 minutes. Then add the cashew mixture to the pan and heat over medium heat, stirring constantly. Do not stop stirring until the mixture thickens after a few minutes and pulls away from the sides of the pan. At this point, remove the pan from the heat.
Using spoons or an ice cream scoop, scoop small balls of the cashew mixture, then place directly into the iced water and set aside in the fridge.
In the meantime, cut the eggplants into slightly thicker slices and, for the sauce, peel and finely dice the onion and garlic.
Heat the olive oil in a pan and fry the eggplant slices on both sides. Then dab lightly with kitchen paper and season with salt.
At the same time, heat the olive oil in a small pan and sauté the onion and garlic cubes together with the dried oregano and basil. After approximately 5 minutes, add the chopped tomatoes and simmer for another 15 minutes. Finally, add the white wine vinegar and season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste.
Preheat the oven to 180 °C/ 355 °F (convection heat). Now layer all the ingredients in a casserole dish: Spread some of the sauce first, then add the eggplant slices on top and top with some vegan mozzarella and grated vegan Parmesan. Repeat the layers. Sprinkle breadcrumbs over the last layer of sauce for a little crunch, vegan Parmesan and the remaining vegan mozzarella.
Bake the casserole at 180 °C/ 355 °F (convection heat) for approximately 30 minutes, briefly switching on the grill function or top heat at the end if desired so that the top layer browns well. Serve the casserole, either warm or lukewarm, with fresh bread.
![R916 Vegan Eggplant Casserole (Parmigiana di melanzane)](https://assets.zuckerjagdwurst.com/g6665fmdby1dh54mptdkmpkq04d9/1110/825/65/true/center/R916-Parmigiana-di-Melanzane-hoch4.jpg?animated=false)
![R916 Vegan Eggplant Casserole (Parmigiana di melanzane)](https://assets.zuckerjagdwurst.com/50589jy1pfsewoi3tmcaoinz2obd/1110/825/65/true/center/R916-Parmigiana-di-Melanzane-hoch5.jpg?animated=false)
![R916 Vegan Eggplant Casserole (Parmigiana di melanzane)](https://assets.zuckerjagdwurst.com/7vcjz8pxcupojhdby87zfocqwqmh/1110/825/65/true/center/R916-Parmigiana-di-Melanzane-hoch6.jpg?animated=false)
![R916 Vegan Eggplant Casserole (Parmigiana di melanzane)](https://assets.zuckerjagdwurst.com/6pzghes0y59j9dpy947wnh0yfnvk/1110/740/65/true/center/R916-Parmigiana-di-Melanzane-09.jpg?animated=false)
![R916 Vegan Eggplant Casserole (Parmigiana di melanzane)](https://assets.zuckerjagdwurst.com/upioaymi8c05s1nmdr2di3b7w51d/1110/825/65/true/center/R916-Parmigiana-di-Melanzane-hoch7.jpg?animated=false)