The Hairy Bikers' aubergine parmigiana

Name: The Hairy Bikers' aubergine parmigiana
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: 4 servings

Also known as parmigiana di melanzane, The Hairy Bikers share their healthier version of this delicious classic Italian dish.

A dish with aubergine parmigiana covered in browned, melted cheese

By The Hairy Bikers | Published - 17 Feb 2026

This Italian classic is a great favourite of ours, but it’s usually super-high in calories because aubergines soak up such a huge amount of oil. In this lighter version, we bake the aubergine slices instead of frying them, and the result is just as delicious but uses much less oil.

It's a beautifully satisfying, comforting dish, so dive in and enjoy.

Prep time

15 mins

Cooking time

1 hour

Serves

Calories

325

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil
3 aubergines, sliced into ½-1cm rounds
A few fresh rosemary and oregano sprigs
Sea salt and black pepper

For the sauce

1 tsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tsp dried oregano
Generous pinch of cinnamon
400g can of tomatoes
100ml red wine

To assemble

Small bunch of basil leaves
2 balls of mozzarella, well drained and torn

Method

Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan 180°C/gas 6.
Mix the olive oil with a tablespoon of water.
Place the aubergine slices on 2 or 3 baking trays lined with baking parchment. Brush the slices sparingly with the olive oil and water mix, then season with salt and pepper.
Roughly break up the sprigs of herbs, and sprinkle them over the aubergines.
Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes, until the slices are squidgy in the middle and nicely browned. Discard the herbs.
While the aubergines are baking, make the sauce.
Heat the olive oil in a saucepan and add the onion.
Add a splash of water and sauté the onion gently until translucent.
Add the garlic and continue to sauté for another 2 or 3 minutes.
Sprinkle in the oregano and cinnamon, then pour the tomatoes and red wine into the pan. Rinse out the can with 100ml of water and add this too.
Season with salt and pepper, and bring the sauce to the boil. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes, then remove the lid and continue to simmer until the sauce is well reduced.
To assemble, spread a spoonful of the sauce over the base of an ovenproof dish. Add a layer of aubergines and a couple of torn basil leaves. Continue until you've used up all the aubergines and sauce, pressing down well in between each layer.
Add more basil and dot with the torn-up mozzarella. Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes, until well browned and bubbling.

Notes

Nutritional information

Info per serving: calories: 325, protein (g) 17.5, carbs (g) 11, sugar (g) 10, fat (g) 20, saturated fat (g) 11, fibre (g) 7.5, salt (g) 0.8.

Recipe from The Hairy Dieters' Simple Healthy Food: A Guide to Losing Weight and Staying Healthy by Si King and Dave Myers (Seven Dials), RRP £16.99.

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See The Hairy Bikers' page for more cooking inspiration.

[Hero image credit: Andrew Hayes-Watkins]

Written by: The Hairy Bikers

Si King and Dave Myers, the Hairy Bikers, became national treasures with their blend of enthusiasm and humour.
They hosted more than 30 TV series combining motorcycling and cooking, and sold more than 6 million copies of their books. In February 2024, Dave Myers passed away after a long battle with cancer.

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