2 medium to large eggplants, thickly sliced
salt & pepper
olive oil
4 cups of passata/ tom sauce (you can make your own or buy it ready-made)
3 Tbs. minced chives
3 Tbs. minced parsley
1 Tbs. thyme leaves
340 grams of crème fraiche
½ cup of parmesan cheese, grated
What to do:
Preheat oven to 190 degrees. Season eggplant slices with salt and pepper. Brush lightly with olive oil.
Heat a large pan over med-high heat and fry eggplant slices in batches until golden on both sides. Set aside while you prepare the crème fraiche.
Place crème fraiche in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce to about 1 cup, then stir in half of the grated parmesan and all of the chopped herbs. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper and set aside.
Oil a baking dish and place eggplant inside in a single layer. Cover with a thin layer of the tomato sauce and a sprinkle of parmesan. Make two more layers of eggplant and sauce, covering the top with tomato sauce. Ladle over the reduced crème fraiche or cream and sprinkle on a final layer of parmesan cheese.
Bake uncovered until browned and bubbling, about 25-30 minutes. Let rest briefly before serving.