Stuffed Eggplants Calabrian Style

Name: Stuffed Eggplants Calabrian Style
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: Eggplant long black 4; Coarse salt to taste; Bread (only crumb) 3.5 oz; Pecorino cheese 1.8 oz; Parmigiano Reggiano PDO cheese 1.8 oz; Caciocavallo cheese 3.5 oz; Basil 5 leaves; Mint 5 leaves; Tomato purée 2 ½ cups; Garlic 2 cloves; Extra virgin olive oil to taste; Basil to taste; Sunflower seed oil 1.1 cups

539.3

Calories per serving

Vegetarian

Energy Kcal 539.3
Carbohydrates g 23.5
of which sugars g 10.4
Protein g 22.6
Fats g 39.4
of which saturated fat g 12.6
Fiber g 46.8
Cholesterol mg 8.6
Sodium mg 987.8

Difficulty: Easy
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Serving: 4 persone
Cost: Low
Note plus 3 hours to drain the eggplants

PRESENTATION

Melanzane 'mbuttunate (stuffed eggplants) are a typical recipe from Southern Italy, one of the most delicious eggplant recipes, along with gratinated and baked ones. Today we present the Calabrese version of melanzane 'mbuttunate, but there are other variants, with some differences, especially in Sicily and Cilento. The term 'mbuttunate refers to the cuts made on the eggplants, traditionally 5-6, and it means "buttoned." Stuffed with a mixture of bread and cheese, they are truly delicious stuffed eggplants. The double cooking method makes them special: first fried, then simmered in the sauce, the eggplants become soft inside and extremely tasty! Follow our steps and prepare this typical Calabrese recipe to delight your guests!

Here are other stuffed vegetables not to miss:

INGREDIENTS

539.3

Calories per serving

Eggplant 4 - long black

Coarse salt to taste

for the filling: Bread 3.5 oz (100 g) - (only crumb); Pecorino cheese 1.8 oz (50 g); Parmigiano Reggiano PDO cheese 1.8 oz (50 g); Caciocavallo cheese 3.5 oz (100 g); Basil 5 leaves; Mint 5 leaves

for the sauce: Tomato purée 2 ½ cups (600 g); Garlic 2 cloves; Extra virgin olive oil to taste; Basil to taste

for frying: Sunflower seed oil 1.1 cups (250 g)

Preparation

How to prepare Stuffed Eggplants Calabrian Style

To prepare the stuffed eggplants Calabrian style, first wash the eggplants and remove the stem 1. Make lengthwise cuts on the eggplants 2, being careful not to cut through the base. 5-6 cuts will suffice for eggplants weighing about 7 oz (200g) each. Insert a pinch of coarse salt into the cuts 3.

Leave to drain on a rack with a container underneath for about 2-3 hours 4. Meanwhile, prepare the filling. Dice the bread crumbs 5 and grate the Caciocavallo 6, Pecorino, and Parmigiano Reggiano.

Blend the bread crumbs in a mixer 7 and transfer to a bowl. Add the cheeses 8, mint leaves, and basil leaves 9.

Mix well 10. Once the eggplants have released the liquid, rinse them well under water to remove the salt 11. Dry them thoroughly with kitchen paper 12.

Now, fill the cuts in the eggplants 13 14. In a very large pan (they should all fit), pour the sunflower oil, heat for a minute, then carefully place the eggplants in without burning yourself 15.

Cook over medium heat 16, turning often 17 for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the sauce. In another large pan, pour the oil and add a whole peeled clove of garlic. Let it infuse. Now pour in the tomato sauce 18.

Season with salt, add the basil leaves 19, and let cook for about 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, drain the eggplants 20 and transfer them to paper towels 21.

Transfer the eggplants into the sauce 22. Cook for about 25-30 minutes, turning gently at least 2-3 times. Once cooked 23, serve them hot 24.

How to store

Stuffed eggplants Calabrian style can be stored in the fridge for up to 2-3 days.
Freezing is not recommended.

Tips

Instead of vegetable oil, you can also use extra virgin olive oil or a mix of both.

If you don't like garlic, you can prepare the sauce with onion.

It's preferable to use small-sized long purple eggplants, but larger or oval ones can also be used. Just check the cooking times to ensure they soften while frying and cook well in the sauce.

For the translation of some texts, artificial intelligence tools may have been used.