AUTHENTIC  ITALIAN  RECIPES

 FROM

 RISTORANTE  d'ANNAMARIA

Stuffed Eggplant is a great alternative to stuffed peppers. This recipe comes

from the Calabria region of Southern Italy. I think you'll enjoy it.

Ingredients for 4 persons:

2.5 pounds of small eggplants

1/2 ounce fresh mint leaves (dried mint will do) 

5 1/2 ounces of caciocavallo cheese (provolone or mozzarella)

5 1/2 ounces of extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon of vinegar (red wine's the best)

1 tablespoon of sugar

1 cup of fresh sauce (see my recipe)

2 cloves of fresh garlic

Black pepper to taste

1 medium size onion

salt to taste
 

How to do it:

Wash the eggplants

Cut the eggplants in half, lengthwise and scoop out enough eggplant to leave a half-inch shell.  

Soak the eggplant shells and the scooped out eggplant in very heavily salted water for about an hour. ( You'll have to weight them down as eggplants float)

Remove them from the water and rinse them well.

Cut the scooped out eggplant into one inch cubes

Coarsely chop the mint leaves 

Stuff the eggplant shells with the eggplant cubes, chopped garlic, chopped mint leaves and some pepper.

In a frying pan, put 1/2 the olive oil and the stuffed eggplants and let them sauté covered for about 30 minutes.

In another frying pan, put the remaining olive oil, the onion (peeled, sliced, and chopped) and let it sauté until tender.

Add the fresh sauce, the sugar and vinegar and salt to taste.

Cook for 5 minutes

To this sauce add the stuffed eggplants and let them simmer for another 45 minutes covered being careful not to let the sauce dry and burn. You may need to add some water during this 45 minutes.

Serve hot or cold