Eggplant parmigiana roll

This recipe was given to Silvia by Rose Barbagallo and Rose Cipri, and like all recipes, it has been adapted by her along the way. Instead of being crumbed and fried, the eggplant sandwiches a bread crumb stuffing.

• serves

  6

• prep

  30 minutes

• cook

  50 minutes

• difficulty

  Mid

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Ingredients

• 4 eggplants (see notes)
• olive or vegetable oil, for shallow frying
• 2 tbsp grated parmesan
• ¼ cup basil leaves

Sugo

• 2 tbsp extra - virgin olive oil
• 1 French shallot or small brown onion, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 800 g passata
• salt and black pepper, to taste
• 1 tbsp  grated parmesan

Filling

• 6 eggs, lightly beaten
• 100 g (1½ cups) breadcrumbs
• 100 g (1 cup) grated parmesan
• ½ cup roughly chopped parsley
• 150 g ricotta

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180˚C.
2. For the sugo, heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallot and garlic and stir for 1 minute or until fragrant. Add the passata and 200 ml water, season with salt and pepper and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally for 20 - 25 minutes or until slightly reduced. Add the parmesan,  taste for seasoning and adjust to your liking.
3. Meanwhile, cut the eggplants into 2 cm - thick rounds. Heat 1 cm oil in a large heavy - based frying pan over medium - high heat. When hot, fry the eggplant, in batches until golden on both sides. Remove from the pan and drain on a tray lined with paper towel. Season with salt. Alternatively, place the eggplant slices in a single layer on baking trays, drizzle generously with olive oil and bake at 180˚C for 30 minutes or until golden.
4. For the filling, place all the ingredients in a bowl, season to taste and stir to combine well. .
5. To assemble, cover the bottom of a 30 cm x 40 cm baking dish with a good layer of sugo. Place 10 eggplant slices into the dish in a single layer and spoon  1  - 2 tablespoons of filling over each slice, then top with the remaining eggplant to make 10 sandwiches. Spoon the remaining sauce over the eggplant, top with the grated parmesan and basil leaves and bake for 20 minutes. Serve hot.

Notes

•Choose young, firm, in season eggplants, ideally there shouldn’t be any visible seeds when you cut them. You will need an even number. This filling is enough for 20 slices sandwiched together but any left over filling can be used as a stuffing for baked vegetables or in pasta bakes).

•Rose’s tip when entertaining, is to assemble the dish beforehand (even the day before and leave it in the fridge) and then put into a low oven (130 ˚C.- 140 ˚C) when your guests arrive. By the time you’ve had drinks and nibbles, your main course is nicely heated up and you can have a stress-free dinner with friends or family.

Silvia Colloca shares her Italian family secrets in the brand-new third season of Cook like an Italian.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

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