Sicilian Stuffed Eggplant ~ “Buttoned Up” :- Despite my frequent trips to Sicily and my sampling of regional specialties such as caponata, pasta con le sarde, arancini, and busiate, I was unaware of melanzane abbottonate until I came across Stefano’s blog post on them. Stefano is a UK-based Italian chef, cookbook author, and cooking instructor. His site is one of my favorites and his recipes are always well-researched; in fact, I follow two of his blogs, one of which is in Italian.
Sicilian Stuffed Eggplant ~ “Buttoned Up”
“Buttoned up eggplants” is the direct translation of Melanzane abbottonate, or Mulinciani’mbuttunati in Sicilian. The incision created in the aubergine to accommodate the filling resembles a buttonhole. The eggplant is cooked in a tomato sauce with pecorino cheese (ideally Sicilian caciocavallo), garlic, and mint leaves within. Although it is traditionally made with round, petite, Sicilian eggplants, if you can locate them, this turned out quite delicious even with greenhouse-grown eggplants from the Netherlands. I truly enjoyed this dish, so much so that I regret not finding it sooner. The taste of the cheese and mint adds a unique and delectable flavor to the eggplant and tomato sauce.
INGREDIENTS
- 8 small eggplant, such as “Italian eggplant” or other small variety,
- Pinch salt and black pepper
- About 6 Tbsp olive or other oil for searing eggplant
For the Stuffing
- ½ cup fine breadcrumbs (plain or seasoned)
- ½ cup grated pecorino cheese, + more for finishing
- ¼ cup finely chopped yellow onion
- ¼ cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley or mint leaves
- ¼ chopped fresh basil
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- ¼ tsp dried oregano
For the Sauce
- ¼ cup olive oil + more for finishing
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic
- ¼ cup finely chopped yellow onion
- 2 Tbsp chopped fresh flat leaf parsley or mint
- 2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
- Pinch crushed red pepper
- ¼ cup dry red or white wine (optional)
- 2 (28-ounce) cans whole tomatoes (hand-crushed) or passata or crushed tomatoes
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- ¼ tsp dried oregano
ALSO SEE
5 Simple Secrets That Will Stop Weeds In Your Garden – For Good!
INSTRUCTIONS
Prepare and collect all ingredients in accordance with the aforementioned guidelines. Dry off and rinse the eggplant. Next, prepare the stuffing by combining all of the ingredients in a small bowl and putting it aside.
The eggplant is then “stuffed.” Using the point of a sharp knife, cut three, four, or more slits along the outside of each eggplant, depending on its size. (Refer to the above photo.) Cut long, deep slits, but not so deep that the eggplant will fall out of them.
Then, carefully and gently pry open each slit a little bit with your finger or a little spoon. Take care; the eggplant needs to stay whole.
After lightly seasoning each slit with salt and black pepper, fill each with a small amount of the breadcrumb filling. (Using my hands makes this easier for me to perform than using a spoon.) This stage can be a little confusing. I recommend doing it on top of a sizable cutting board or bowl.
A pinch each of black pepper and salt
Sear the stuffed eggplants after that. Heat 6 tablespoons of olive oil or any other neutral oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet big enough to contain all the eggplant. The stuffed eggplants should be carefully placed in the pan and seared on both sides as soon as the oil is hot. Work in groups if required. After every eggplant has been seared, move them all to a dish and reserve. After lowering the heat to medium low, use paper towels to thoroughly clean the pan.
Make the sauce next. Mix garlic, yellow onion, chopped fresh herbs, and crushed red pepper with ¼ cup olive oil in a pan. To soften the onion, cook 3–5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Covering the pan speeds up this process.
Deglaze the pan by pouring wine into it and scraping off the brown pieces with a wooden spoon or spatula.
Add tomatoes, salt, black pepper, and dried oregano and mix well.
Carefully return the eggplants to the pan and partially cover them with sauce.
Cover the pan and boil the sauce. Adjust heat to simmer and slightly cover pan.
Cook the eggplants for 20 minutes, then flip and cook for 20 more.
A skewer or thin sharp knife should be used to check eggplant doneness. The eggplant should be tender throughout. Turn the eggplants again and boil until tender. Otherwise, turn off heat. Some breadcrumb filling may leak during cooking, but it will flavor the sauce!