Melanzane Ripiene Lucane
Lucanian stuffed aubergines baked with a hearty filling of stale breadcrumbs, pecorino cheese, garlic, and herbs in a light tomato sauce.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Total
- 70 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 380 kcal
Equipment
- •Medium saucepan
- •Baking dish
- •Slotted spoon
- •Mixing bowl
- •Chef's knife
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 380 kcal
- fat
- 19 g
- carbs
- 36 g
- fibre
- 7 g
- protein
- 16 g
- calories
- 380 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- 2
Hollow out the halved aubergines with a spoon, leaving a sturdy 1 cm border around the skins.
- 3
Boil the aubergine shells and the scooped flesh in the water for 5 minutes until just softened.
- 4
Remove with a slotted spoon and drain thoroughly on a clean tea towel, pressing gently to remove excess water.
- 5
Finely chop the cooked aubergine pulp once cool enough to handle.
- 6
In a mixing bowl, combine chopped pulp, breadcrumbs, grated pecorino, beaten eggs, garlic, parsley, half the olive oil, salt, and pepper.
- 7
Preheat the oven to 190 degrees C (170 degrees C fan).
- 8
Spread the passata across the base of a large baking dish, seasoned with a pinch of salt and a drizzle of olive oil.
- 9
Mound the bread filling generously into the drained aubergine shells and place them snugly into the baking dish.
- 10
Drizzle the tops with the remaining olive oil and bake uncovered for 35 minutes until golden brown on top and tender.
- 11
Rest for 10 minutes before serving warm or at room temperature.
Chef's tips
Drain the boiled aubergine flesh thoroughly before mixing so the filling does not become soggy. If your stale bread is very dry, soften it briefly with a tablespoon of water or milk before crumbling. The dish tastes even better when left to cool to warm or room temperature, allowing the flavours to settle.
Ingredient substitutions
- pecorino di Filiano → pecorino Romano or Canestrato Pugliese
- stale durum wheat bread → any crusty rustic sourdough bread crumb
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Reheating
Reheat uncovered in an oven preheated to 175 degrees C for 10 to 15 minutes until warmed through.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Leaving too thin an aubergine shell, which causes them to collapse during baking.
- •Not squeezing out excess water from the boiled pulp, resulting in a wet, heavy filling.
- •Baking at too high a temperature before the aubergine skins soften completely.
Serving suggestions
Cooked Melanzane Ripiene Lucane?
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