I still dream about the stuffed eggplant that I had when I lived in Basilicata, it is a common summer dish in Southern Italy, but something that I haven’t made too often due to the allergies in our house. I don’t like my husband to suffer too much, but every once in a while I have to indulge my cravings for eggplant and my need to try something new in the kitchen.

I messed with the recipe that I found, relying more on the process as opposed to the list of ingredients. I had a lot of fior di latte that needed to be cooked, but also like the idea of using olives for a salty kick. I need to ask my former host mother in Marconia how she made hers, which were simply to die for.

Stuffed Eggplant

translated and adapted from Ricette di osterie della Puglia. Mare, erbe e fornelli Slow Food Editor

• 8 small eggplants or 4 medium eggplants
• around 1 liter of tomato sauce
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup of chopped mozzarella or fior di latte (well drained)
• a fistful of grated cacioricotta or ricotta salata
• 1/2 cup of pitted black olives
• a few leaves of basil
• a few leaves of parsley
• 1 garlic clove, peeled and left whole
• extra-virgin olive oil
• salt to taste

Using a spoon carve out the eggplants after cutting them in half lengthwise. Chop the pulp that you scooped out, salt it and allow it to drain for an hour.

In the meantime fry the eggplant boats and set them aside. The recipe does not indicate how much olive oil should be used, Though eggplant does soak up a lot of oil, I try not to use too much, I will leave it to the reader’s discretion.

Squeeze out the eggplant pulp and saute it in a few tbsp of extra-virgin olive oil with the garlic. Remove the garlic, cool and add the eggs with all of the other ingredients, binding it all together with a few spoonfuls of tomato sauce. Fill the eggplant boats, pressing the filling in, but being careful not to overfill them.

Spoon a a little tomato sauce in the bottom of a terracotta or a glass dish and place the eggplant inside the dish. On every eggplant boat spoon a little bit of tomato sauce. Bake for 15 minutes in a preheated 200°C (400°F). Serve warm or at room temperature.

One Year Ago: Moroccan Beet Salad, Aunt Lois’s Challah & Zucchini in Israeli Tomato Sauce

Two Years Ago: Pasta alla Norma di Zucchine

Four Years Ago: Parmigiana di Zucchine & Meat Tzimmes

~ by italicious on September 20, 2013.

Posted in basil, Basilicata, eggplant/aubergine, eggs, formaggi, gluten free, olives, parsley, Puglia, secondi, tomato sauce, vegetarian
Tags: Basilicata, Eggplant, fior di latte, mozzarella, olives, Puglia, vegetarian, vegetarian main dishes