Melanzane a Beccafico | Find out how to Make Sicilian Filled Eggplants

This dish is a variation on “Sarde a Beccafico,” a scrumptious Sicilian recipe made with contemporary sardines. Now not all folks are fortunate sufficient to have contemporary sardines to be had, however fortunately Sicilians additionally invented this model which makes use of eggplants as a substitute. It’s a very easy and extremely scrumptious vegetable facet that’s positive to provoke!

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MELANZANE A BECCAFICO RECIPE

For this recipe, you are going to want:

• 1 huge eggplant, sliced into skinny rounds

• 2 cups (260 g) undeniable, dry bread crumbs

• 2-3 tablespoons (7-10g) chopped parsley

• 3.5 oz (100 g) grated caciocavallo cheese, or to style (replace with an overly sharp cheddar or pecorino if vital)

• ~½ huge white onion, minimize into more or less 1 inch (2.5 cm) vast wedges

• Bay leaves (ideally contemporary however dry will paintings as neatly)

Preheat the oven to 385°F (195°C). Position the raisins in a small bowl or cup and fill with water to hide. Allow them to soak whilst you get ready the eggplants and filling.

Prepare the eggplant slices on a parchment-lined baking tray in order that they don’t overlap. Drizzle them with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Bake for quarter-hour, or till they’ve softened somewhat and are starting to wrinkle.

Whilst the eggplant bakes, get ready the bread crumb filling. In a blending bowl, mix the bread crumbs, chopped parsley, minced garlic, grated cheese, and pine nuts. Drain the raisins, squeeze the surplus water out, and upload those as neatly. Combine totally and season to style with salt and black pepper. After all, stir in simply sufficient olive oil to frivolously moisten the bread crumbs (about 2-3 tablespoons, however regulate to style).

When the eggplant is cooked, let the slices cool to touch. Grease the ground of a 9-inch (23 cm) pie dish with olive oil and preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C).

Take an eggplant slice and spoon about 1 tablespoon of the bread crumb filling into the middle. Roll the slice up (like a carpet) to surround the filling and position the filled roll into the pie dish. Repeat with the rest slices till the dish is stuffed with a unmarried layer of rolls.

Separate the onion wedge layers and insert a unmarried piece in between each and every eggplant roll. Do the similar with bay leaves (you’ll destroy the leaves into smaller items, if vital). Use the rest bread crumb filling to generously sprinkle the highest of the dish to hide the rolls. Drizzle the highest with olive oil.

Bake the dish for 15-20 mins, till the bread crumbs are crispy and golden. Serve heat or at room temperature.