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# 84 OCTOBER 17 , 2016
# 84 October 17
read more about #Italian Cuisine
ITALIAN CUISINE:
Eggplant Rolls
By Paola Lovisetti Scamihorn
rella cheese and basil makes this recipe
a perfect summer serving that embodies
all the typical flavors of beautiful Italy.
You can substitute mozzarella with ricotta cheese, as well, and in this case you
can enjoy it cold it too.
INVOLTINI DI MELANZANE (EGGPLANT
ROLLS)
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Servings: 4
INGREDIENTS
2 eggplants (900 g, about 2 pounds)
400 ml (1 2/3 cups) tomato sauce
450 g (1 pound) mozzarella for pizza, coarsely grated
6-7 basil leaves + some for decoration
1 tablespoon olive oil (extra virgin) +
some for grilling
Kosher salt
Oregano and freshly ground pepper
A quick, easy and light way to prepare a delicious antipasto(appetizer) with
eggplant or aubergine, a staple vegetable of the Italian cuisine (for more info
about eggplant see melanzane alla parmigiana). Eggplant is a very versatile vegetable, you can prepare it in different
ways: for example, I like it with pasta
such as fregola con melanzane, a typical
Sardinian recipe or the well-known classic dish, melanzane alla parmigiana the
Sicialian way!
Eggplant is traditionally fried – delicious
and irresistible - but if you prefer a lighter
recipe, I would suggest grilling it, either
on a griddle or over an open grill. The
addition of fresh tomato sauce, mozza-
DIRECTIONS
1. Wash the eggplant under cold water.
Cut off the ends and slice vertically into
thin (6 mm, ¼ in) slices. Arrange one
layer of slices in the bottom of a large
colander and sprinkle with kosher salt.
Repeat this procedure until all eggplant
slices are in the colander. Weigh down
the slices with something heavy, (for
example three plates) and let them drain
for at least one hour. This step helps release some of the bitter liquid before cooking. You can skip it if you don’t have
a lot of time, but I usually do it because
you obtain a better flavor
2. In a saucepan over a medium-high
heat, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and
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the tomato sauce, a pinch of oregano,
basil and freshly ground pepper to taste.
(I personally do not add salt because my
cooking is low in salt, but this depends
on your taste). Cook over medium heat
for 2-3 minutes. Set aside. I recommend
using a dense tomato sauce rather than
a liquid one
3. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F)
4. When the eggplant slices have drained, press down on the slices to remove
the excess water, wipe off the excess salt
well and dry with paper towels
5. Grill the eggplant slices on a heated
griddle lightly greased with some olive
oil. Turn once
6. On each eggplant slice (for the smaller
ones, you can combine two lengthwise,
to have all the same length), spread with
a half of a spoon of tomato sauce, cover
with some mozzarella and roll. Repeat to
finish all the ingredients
7. Place the rolls either in 4 individual baking pans or just in one larger one. Pour
a teaspoon of tomato sauce on top of
each roll and bake for 5-7 minutes until
mozzarella melts. Remove from the oven
let rest on a grid for 2 minutes and serve
warm.
54 | WE THE ITALIANS
WE THE ITALIANS | 55
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