Melanzane Ripiene alla Pugliese
Apulian baked aubergine halves stuffed with their own sauteed flesh, stale bread, capers, ripe tomatoes, and cacioricotta cheese.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Total
- 65 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 320 kcal
Equipment
- •Baking dish
- •Large saucepan
- •Frying pan
- •Mixing bowl
- •Chef knife
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 320 kcal
- fat
- 16 g
- carbs
- 35 g
- fibre
- 7 g
- protein
- 11 g
- calories
- 320 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Cut the aubergines in half lengthways.
- 2
Scoop out the flesh with a spoon, leaving a 1 cm border to create sturdy shells.
- 3
Boil the aubergine shells in salted water for 4 minutes, then drain upside down on a clean tea towel.
- 4
Chop the scooped aubergine flesh into small dice.
- 5
Heat 30 ml olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat.
- 6
Cook the chopped aubergine flesh and garlic until softened and lightly golden, about 8 minutes.
- 7
Combine the cooked flesh, squeezed bread, tomatoes, capers, cacioricotta, egg, and basil in a mixing bowl.
- 8
Season the filling with fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- 9
Preheat your oven to 180 degrees C.
- 10
Fill each aubergine shell generously with the bread and vegetable mixture.
- 11
Arrange the stuffed shells in a baking dish and drizzle with the remaining 15 ml olive oil.
- 12
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the tops are golden brown and crisp.
Chef's tips
Squeeze the soaked bread thoroughly before mixing so the filling does not become waterlogged. Allow the dish to sit for 10 minutes after baking, as the flavour improves significantly once the filling settles.
Ingredient substitutions
- cacioricotta → young pecorino, though it is saltier
- stale durum wheat bread → any crusty rustic sourdough bread
Storage
Store leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Reheating
Reheat in an oven preheated to 160 degrees C for 10 minutes, or serve at room temperature.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Scooping the aubergine shell too thin, which causes it to collapse during baking.
- •Failing to rinse the salted capers, leading to an over-salted filling.
- •Skipping the parboiling step, resulting in tough and leathery aubergine skins.
Serving suggestions
Cooked Melanzane Ripiene alla Pugliese?
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