Melanzane ripiene – Calabrian stuffed aubergines
Aubergines are a big deal in Calabria, which is where this stuffed aubergine recipe hails from. The vegetables are filled with a simple mixture of bread and cheese, before being smothered in passata and baked until tender.
Time
1 hour 30 minutes
Ingredients
3 tbsp of white wine vinegar
4 large aubergines, halved
4 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed
600g of passata
100g of stale bread, white
80g of pecorino, grated (or use a similar cheese that contains vegetarian rennet, if preferred)
1 bunch of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped (a small bunch will do)
2 eggs
fine sea salt, as needed
freshly ground black pepper, as needed
Instructions
Step 1
Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Add the vinegar, then ease in the aubergine halves and blanch for 5–7 minutes, until just softened. Drain and allow to cool on a plate, cut-side down
Step 2
Once cool enough to handle, remove some of the flesh from the aubergines using a teaspoon, in order to hollow them out for the filling. Turn the aubergines cut-side down again
Step 3
Squeeze any liquid out of the scooped-out flesh, mince it finely and set it aside
Step 4
Heat 3 tbsp of olive oil in a frying pan. Add the crushed garlic and allow it to infuse the oil for a couple of minutes. Next, add the aubergine flesh. Fry for 10 minutes, stirring often and scraping any bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Once tender, remove from the frying pan and transfer to a plate lined with kitchen paper
Step 5
Add another spoonful of oil to the same pan and, when hot, add the passata. Cover and cook for 20 minutes over a medium heat, or until thickened. Season with salt and pepper and set aside
Step 6
Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 6
Step 7
Line a baking tray with baking parchment and place the aubergines on top, cut-side up
Step 8
Soak the bread in some water and set aside for 10 minutes, to soften. Drain the bread, squeezing out any excess liquid, and crumble into a large bowl. Add the aubergine flesh, pecorino, parsley, eggs, salt and pepper and stir everything until well-combined. Use this mixture to stuff the aubergines
Step 9
Top the stuffed aubergines with tomato sauce to cover and bake for 20 minutes, or until tender all the way through
Step 10
Serve warm or at room temperature
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