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Stuffed Sicilian Eggplants

A comforting dish featuring eggplants stuffed with a savory mix of cherry tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella, and herbs, perfect for dinner or entertaining.
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Italian
Calories: 450

Ingredients
  

For the stuffing
  • 2 pieces eggplants (approximately 500 g) Cut in half lengthwise
  • 350 g cherry tomatoes
  • 3 cloves garlic 1 for stuffing, 2 for sauce
  • 100 g olives (pitted)
  • 250 g buffalo mozzarella or to taste
  • to taste Fresh basil
  • to taste Salt
  • to taste Pepper
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 tablespoon capers
  • 2 tablespoons breadcrumbs
For the pasta layer and sauce
  • 250 g mezze sleeve pasta or any preferred pasta
  • 2 cups tomato puree
  • to taste Scamorza cheese or parmesan, to taste
  • to taste Chili pepper fresh or dried, to taste
For cooking
  • Olive oil for drizzling and cooking

Method
 

Preparation
  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
  2. Cut the eggplants in half lengthwise and scoop out the flesh, leaving about 0.5 inches of flesh attached to the skin.
  3. Dice the extracted flesh and add it to a mixing bowl with halved cherry tomatoes, minced garlic (1 clove), olives, diced buffalo mozzarella, basil, salt, pepper, and oregano.
  4. Stuff the eggplant skins with the mixture, packing it in well.
  5. Drizzle the stuffed eggplants with olive oil and place on a baking sheet.
Cooking
  1. Bake for about 30 minutes, until eggplant is tender and tops are golden brown.
  2. Cook the mezze sleeve pasta according to package instructions until al dente, then drain.
  3. Slice another eggplant, sprinkle with salt, and let drain for about 15 minutes.
  4. In a frying pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Sauté minced garlic (2 cloves) until fragrant.
  5. Add tomato puree along with salt, pepper, and chili pepper. Simmer for 5-7 minutes.
  6. Fry salted eggplant slices in olive oil until golden brown.
  7. Layer cooked pasta in a baking dish, arrange fried eggplant over it, top with scamorza and parmesan cheese, spoon tomato sauce over everything, and drizzle with olive oil.
  8. Bake for another 15 minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Notes

Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The flavors continue to meld, making them even tastier the next day. Reheat covered in the oven at 350°F for about 15-20 minutes, or heat in a microwave in 1-minute intervals.