Slice your eggplant about 1/4” (1/2cm) thick. Salt generously and let drain in a colander for a few hours. Anywhere from 1-3 hours is good. Rinse, squeeze out excess liquid and let dry off a bit more on a towel lined plate.

To fry, get a pan on medium heat and add in a few tablespoons of oil. You’re ready to add your eggplant when you see a slight shimmer to the oil. Coat each slice of eggplant in a light dusting of flour, immediately add to your pan and fry till golden and browned, about 2-3 mins per side. Keep an eye on em, you don’t want them to burn. Repeat for the rest of the eggplant slices, adding in more oil as needed and wipe out any burnt bits that accumulate between batches.

Once all the eggplant is fried, quickly add in your sage leaves to the pan and let them sizzle for about 20 – 30 seconds. It won’t take long to get them crisped and fragrant.

Now you’re ready to layer up. Get your over preheated to 350°F (175°C). Add in some sauce, a layer of eggplant, mozzarella, parmigano reggiano, some sage leaves and more sauce. Keep repeating till you’ve used up all that eggplant. For the top layer I suggest adding a little extra parmigiano.

Bake for 45 minutes at 350°F (175°C). Then, broil for a few mins at the end to get the top browned and bubbly. Remove from the oven and let sit for at least 10 minutes before digging in, this eggplant is lava hot right now. Your patience will be rewarded. Once the 10 minutes is up, dish it out, and eat up!