Thinly sliced and golden fried pieces of aubergine, crushed tomatoes, ricotta and fresh mozzarella top a Neapolitan pizza base for a deconstructed riff on an Italian dish that’s been around in some form since the 1700s. While aubergine, (or eggplant) parmesan is usually baked in the oven and served alongside pasta, our recipe takes all the elements of the dish and throws them on top of a pie in homage to slices seen at pizza shops around the United States.

Aubergine parmesan was originally cooked like a casserole, with fried aubergine layered, sauced and covered in cheese before baking, and then served in square slices. Recipes range in preparation – some call for breaded and fried aubergine, some avoid the frying altogether – but most call for slices of aubergine about 1.27 centimetres to 1.9 centimetres thick. 

When cooked casserole-style, the creamy texture of thicker slices of aubergine creates layers you can easily sink a fork through. On pizza, coins of aubergine hit just right with that creamy-yet-spongy texture against smooth cheese and tomato sauce. 

For our pizza, we make sure to slice the aubergine super thin – a mandoline is really helpful for this – and fry it until crackly and golden brown. Simple crushed tomatoes make up our sauce, and their acidity balances well with the unctuous aubergine, the richness of the ricotta and mozzarella and the saltiness of a healthy dose of parmesan added just before baking.