Calabria / Cosenza
Melanzane Ripiene alla Calabrese
Baked stuffed eggplant with breadcrumbs and tomato
These are baked stuffed eggplants — the halves are hollowed out and refilled with their own flesh, bread, egg and pecorino, then baked until crisp on top.
Tested and written by Erika A. Cochran
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Prep
30 minutes
Cook
45 minutes
Serves
4
Difficulty
Moderate
Region
Calabria
What you’ll need
Ingredients
Written for 4.
Showing quantities at 1× the original recipe.
- 4 medium eggplants
- ⅔ cup stale bread, soaked in water and squeezed dry
- 2 eggs
- ¾ cup grated pecorino
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- A handful of basil, torn
- 1⅔ cups passata
- 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- Breadcrumbs, for the tops
- Sea salt and black pepper
At the stove
Instructions
Halve the eggplants lengthways and scoop out the flesh, leaving a ⅓ inch shell. Salt the shells lightly and set them cut side down for 20 minutes.
Chop the scooped flesh and cook it in 2 tbsp olive oil with the garlic over medium heat for 10 minutes until soft. Let it cool.
Mix the cooked flesh with the squeezed bread, eggs, pecorino, and basil. Season well.
Heat the oven to 375°F. Spread the passata in a baking dish with a splash of oil and a pinch of salt.
Pat the shells dry, fill them with the mixture, and set them in the dish. Scatter breadcrumbs over the tops and drizzle with the remaining oil.
Bake for 40–45 minutes until the shells are tender and the tops are browned. Rest for 10 minutes before serving — they are better warm than hot.
Recipe notes
Salting the shells draws out water so the finished eggplant is not soggy.
They keep well and are often eaten at room temperature the next day.
Context
Stuffed eggplant is made throughout southern Italy, with Calabrian versions typically leaning on bread, pecorino, and tomato rather than meat.
Sources: Editorial adaptation of documented Calabrian regional cooking, Casa Magnelli Kitchen
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