Stuffed eggplant 

Stuffed eggplants are a typical dish of the Spanish peasant tradition that over time has become very popular in our peninsula, giving rise to an interesting range of variations. Each region has devised its own version based on its own typical products, and many of them would like to boast of its origin throughout the country. Stuffed eggplants are a family "tradition", one of grandma's classic recipes, made especially in summer precisely because of the abundance of this vegetable. It is no coincidence that stuffed eggplants are excellent to be enjoyed both hot and cold! From north to south they are stuffed with various ingredients such as meat, pasta, vegetables or rice and consequently are served both as appetizers, first courses, main courses and side dishes and sometimes even as a dessert. Moving from region to region, in addition to changing the filling and the type of course, the name also changes, which is modified according to the dialect of the place. We have chosen to offer you one of the most classic recipes: the eggplants are emptied of their pulp, which is cooked together with the meat to create a rich and tasty filling. Covered with plenty of tomato and sprinkled with aged pecorino cheese, they are finally put back in the oven to blend all the flavors together. Stuffed eggplants are also ideal to enjoy at room temperature on the hottest days. Give it a try!

INGREDIENTS

Eggplant 700 g

Pork minced meat 300 g

Tomato puree 300 g

Onions 1

Stale bread 50 g

White wine 60 g

Extra virgin olive oil to taste

Basil 6 leaves

Black pepper 1 pinch

Fine salt 1 pinch

Caciocavallo 175 g

PREPARATION

To make the stuffed eggplant, first wash and dry the eggplant. Cut them in half from the long side together with the stem. Empty the inside of the eggplants. Coarsely chop the pulp. Finely chop the onion as well. Pour the oil and onion into a pan and stew for a few minutes. Pour in the meat as well and brown the meat for 3-4 minutes. Deglaze with white wine. Let the wine evaporate and pour in the eggplant pulp. Cook for 4-5 minutes, add salt and pepper and add the tomato puree (taking care to set aside about 30 g) and basil leaves. Turn off the heat. Cut the stale bread into small pieces and chop it in the mixer. Also grate the horse hunt with a grater with large holes. Pour in the chopped bread and cheese in a pan frying pan and stir. Now place the eggplants in an oiled pan. Salted and stuff the eggplants with the filling. Spread over the tomato sauce that you have kept aside, drizzle with olive oil and bake in a preheated static oven at 200°C for 30 minutes (adjust the time and temperature according to your ideal cooking: if you prefer softer eggplants you can decrease the degrees to 180° and cook for at least 40-45 minutes, checking the degree of softness of the eggplant from time to time with the tines of a fork). Once the cooking time has elapsed, serve the stuffed eggplants hot.

PRESERVATION

You can store your stuffed eggplant in an airtight container for a day at most! You can freeze them after cooking if you have used fresh ingredients.

ADVICE

I recommend choosing eggplants that are not too big, to shorten cooking times. If you want a softer result, you can extend the cooking time until you reach the desired consistency. The filling can be modified in a thousand ways: spicier (by adding chili peppers to the meat), while the meat can be pork only, veal only, or a mix of veal and pork. The choice is yours!