Time: 1 hour 20 min.
Complexity: easily
Servings: 4 - 6

Eggplant is a staple in Mediterranean cuisine. Stuffed eggplant is one of the most popular dishes in Italy, so each region, including Calabria, has developed its own version. If you enjoy vegetable dishes, you'll definitely love these eggplant croquettes.

Ingredients:

Eggplants

• 1 eggplant weighing 0.5 kg, trim the ends, cut in half lengthwise
• 1 tbsp. l. olive oil

Stuffing

• 1 tbsp. grated pecorino cheese
• 0.5 cups plain breadcrumbs, if necessary, more
• 0.25 cup chopped basil leaves
• 1 large beaten egg
• 2 cloves of crushed garlic
• 2 tbsp. l. chopped parsley

Sauce

• 2 tbsp. marinara sauce or tomato-basil sauce
• 0.75 tsp red pepper flakes
• Vegetable oil, for frying
• 0.5 tbsp. grated pecorino cheese

Substituting ingredients
Measuring containers used

1 glass (st.) - 250 ml.
3/4 cup (st.) - 180 ml.
2/3 cup (st.) - 160 ml.
1/2 cup (st.) - 125 ml.
1/3 cup (st.) - 80 ml.
1/4 cup (st.) - 60 ml.
1 tablespoon (tbsp) - 15 ml.
1 teaspoon (tsp) - 5 ml.
1/5 teaspoon (tsp) - 1 ml.

Recipes with similar ingredients

eggplants, tomato sauce, marinara sauce, Pecorino Romano cheese, breadcrumbs, eggs, red pepper flakes, parsley, basil

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Preparation:

Step 1
• Position a rack on the middle shelf of the oven. Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Grease a small baking sheet or a 20 x 30 cm glass ceramic baking dish with vegetable oil.
Step 2
• Eggplants.
  
  Place the eggplant cut-side up on the prepared baking sheet. Make 1.5 cm (0.6 in) slits in the eggplant halves with a paring knife. Drizzle with olive oil and bake until golden brown, 40–45 minutes. Let the eggplants cool for 10 minutes.
Step 3
• Stuffing.
  
  Using a spoon, scoop out 1 cup of the eggplant flesh and place it in a food processor. Process until the eggplant becomes a paste. Add the cheese, breadcrumbs, basil, egg, garlic, and parsley. Process until the mixture is thick enough to form balls, adding more breadcrumbs if needed.
  
  Using a small kitchen scoop, form this mixture into 25 balls, each about 2 tablespoons in size, and place them on a baking sheet.
Step 4
• Sauce: In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring to a simmer tomato sauce and red pepper to a boil. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Keep the sauce on low heat until ready to serve.
Step 5
• Frying.
  
  Pour enough oil into a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan to fill it about a third of the way. Heat the oil over medium heat until a thermometer inserted into the oil reads 175°C (if you don't have a thermometer, a slice of bread will be golden brown in about 4 minutes).
  
  Fry the eggplant balls in batches until golden brown, about a minute. Drain them on paper towels.
Step 6
• Serve fried eggplant croquettes warm or cold with marinara sauce and grated pecorino cheese.

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