Parmigiana was originally made with aubergines and came from southern Italy, where aubergines grow in abundance. It has, over time, become popular worldwide and evolved to include other vegetables. Whereas aubergines are plentiful during the summer, pumpkin is during the colder season. I like to coat the pumpkin slices in egg and fry them (as I do with all other vegetables when making Parmigiana). However, if you prefer a lighter version, you could grill or roast the pumpkin slices instead.


Method

• First make the tomato sauce. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan, add the onion and fry over a medium heat for about 5 minutes, then add the tomatoes, basil leaves and some salt to taste. Leave to simmer over a gentle heat for about 25 minutes until thickened.

• In the meantime, peel the pumpkin, cut it in half, then into quarters, remove the seeds and then cut into slices about 5mm (¼in.) thick. Lightly beat the eggs in a shallow dish with a little salt and pepper. Dust the pumpkin slices with flour, shaking off the excess, then dip into the beaten egg.

• Heat plenty of vegetable oil in a deep frying pan until hot, then add the pumpkin slices (you may need to do this in batches, depending on the size of your pan) and deep-fry for a couple of minutes on each side. Remove using a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper to absorb the excess oil.

• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180°C fan/200°C.

• Line an ovenproof dish with a little of the tomato sauce, then place some pumpkin slices over the top, sprinkle with a little black pepper, dot around some mozzarella, sprinkle over some grated Parmesan and top with some more tomato sauce. Continue making layers like these until you have finished all the ingredients, ending with a final sprinkling of mozzarella and grated Parmesan.

• Cover with foil and bake in the oven for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to
  bake for a further 15 minutes until the cheese has melted and has taken on a golden
  brown colour.

• Remove from the oven and leave to rest for about 10 minutes before serving.
  
  Adapted from: Gennaro’s Cucina: Hearty Money-Saving Meals from an Italian Kitchen (Pavilion Books).