Every region in Italy has developed its own variant. Many regions of Italy are trying to make the traditional character of this dish : Sicily ( Catania eggplant ), Calabria ( melangiani bend ) and Liguria boasts the best stuffed eggplant in the nation.
I would like to a boast about the casalese version. (buligname aripiene - dialect casalese). The difference is in the preparation and method of cooking. For starters, we do not cut the eggplant lengthwise but skillfully carve them.
Ingredients for Stuffing
1 lb. sausage meat
1/2 red onion (chopped)
3 tablespoons olive oil
Eggplant interior flesh
1 cup of day-old bread
1 egg
1 chopped tomato
1/2 cup parmigiano cheese
Sprig of parsley
Salt and black pepper
Directions:
Carve the raw eggplants with a paring knife carefully removing the interior flesh so as not to break or puncture the small eggplants.
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| Way to carve eggplants with knife |
Place the carved eggplants and interior flesh in water.
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| Carved eggplants in water |
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| Interior eggplant flesh in water |
Drain the interior eggplant flesh and squeeze.
Place olive oil in pan and add chopped onion. Cook until golden.
Add sausage meat and cook over medium heat for about half an hour, stirring often.
Add drained and squeezed eggplant flesh, tomato, parsley, salt and pepper and continue to cook for another half hour.
Close the heat.
Add day-old bread, cheese and egg and mix. Let the stuffing cool off.
Drain the carved eggplants.
Stuff eggplants.
Add 1/2 cup olive oil in pan and simmer gently. Turn over each eggplant every few minutes so that they cook all around.
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| Stuffed eggplants after sauteing - |
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| Tomato sauce Once the sauce cooked for 10 -15 minutes, add the eggplants. Cook for 30 or 40 minutes. Ready to eat. |
