This recipe started out as an attempt to recreate a dish I ate in a very good restaurant in Bologna. It took off in a direction of its own, however, emerging as a new version of an old and popular dish—and met with rave reviews.
Serves 6 to 8
• 2½ lbs. firm eggplant (smaller eggplants are preferable)
• 4 Tbs. olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. salt
• ⅓ to ½ cup pine nuts
• 2 cups peeled tomatoes (with liquid)
• 2 Tbs. minced fresh parsley
• ½ tsp. basil
• fresh-ground black pepper to taste
• ⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• ½ cup dry bread crumbs, and more if needed
• 2 eggs, well beaten
• ½ lb. mozzarella cheese, cut into strips.
1. For best results, choose eggplants of about ½ to ¾ pound size. Cut them in half lengthwise and cut out all the inside, leaving only a ¼-inch layer inside the skin. Put the scooped-out shells aside and chop the eggplant.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large pan and add the garlic to it. Stir the garlic in the oil for about a minute, then add the chopped eggplant and the salt. Sauté the eggplant over high heat, stirring almost constantly, for about 10 minutes, or until it is just starting to color.
3. Add the pine nuts, tomatoes (cut in chunks), parsley, basil, and a generous amount of fresh-ground pepper. Stir the mixture well, turn down the heat, and simmer it for another 10 minutes. Add the cheese and the bread crumbs and stir thoroughly. The mixture should be moist but thick—not at all runny. Add a little more bread crumbs if needed, then stir in the beaten eggs. Taste and correct the seasoning.
4. Spoon the mixture into the scooped-out eggplant shells, filling them to the brim. Arrange strips of mozzarella cheese on top and bake the eggplants in a preheated 350-degree oven for about 35 to 40 minutes. The cheese on top should be golden brown. Serve hot.
