Eggplant Lasagna Parmigiana

INSTRUCTIONS

• 1
  Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Wash the eggplants and cut them into slices about half a centimeter thick. Brush them with olive oil on both sides, season with pepper, and sprinkle with dried oregano. Arrange the eggplants on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 40 minutes. Turn the eggplants halfway through. After baking, season with salt.
• 2
  Finely chop the onion and slice the garlic. Sauté the onion in 2 tablespoons of olive oil until golden, then add the garlic. Sauté together for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper. Pour in the wine and let it simmer on low heat for 10 - 15 minutes until the excess liquid evaporates. Finally, stir in a handful of chopped basil.
• 3
  Meanwhile, prepare the béchamel. Melt the butter in a saucepan and sprinkle with flour. Stir constantly and sauté the flour for a minute. Then pour in the milk and stir until all lumps are gone. Add bay leaves, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the béchamel has a pudding-like consistency. Then remove the bay leaves, stir in 2/3 of the Parmesan, and a handful of chopped basil. Reserve a few leaves for garnish.
• 4
  Now we have all the parts ready and can layer them. In a baking dish measuring 20x30 cm, layer 1/3 of the eggplants, top with 1/3 of the tomato mixture. On the tomato mixture, layer the lasagna sheets in a single layer, and spread 1/3 of the béchamel over them. Repeat this process 2 more times. Sprinkle the last layer of béchamel with the remaining Parmesan and top with sliced mozzarella. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 50 minutes in the oven. Remove the foil halfway through baking and let the cheese bake until crispy. After baking, garnish with basil leaves.