Stuffed shells with eggplant Parmesan is a very tasty and inviting Mediterranean recipe, a summer dish, although eggplants are now available all year round!
It seems like a slightly elaborate first course, but it is actually easy to prepare and highly appreciated by both adults and children.
The shells have a rich and flavorful filling: they are stuffed with cubes of fried or baked eggplants dipped in tomato puree, provolone, ham, lots of cheese, and fresh basil that taste like Parmesan.
Once the pasta shells are gratinated in the oven, they can be enjoyed either hot or cold, and they are also excellent the next day after resting, releasing more taste and aromas like eggplant Parmesan.
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- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Rest time: 5 Minutes
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 3People
- Cooking methods: Stovetop, Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Spring, Summer
Ingredients for the shells
- 12 shells
- 1 eggplant (large)
- 600 g tomato puree or pulp
- 150 g provolone
- 2 slices cooked ham
- 100 g grated Parmesan
- 2 tablespoons breadcrumbs
- 1 sprig fresh basil
- 1 clove garlic
- to taste olive or seed oil
- to taste salt
Tools
- 1 Pot
- 1 Frying Pan
- 1 Colander
- 1 Baking Dish
- 1 stovetop
- 1 oven
Steps for Eggplant Parmesan Shells
Wash the eggplants, remove some of the skin and cut them into cubes if they are not in season, put them in a bowl with a little salt for about 20 – 30 minutes.
In the meantime, prepare the simple tomato sauce. Pour a drizzle of olive oil into a pan, add and brown a clove of garlic, add the tomato puree or pulp, a pinch of salt, and cook over low heat for about 20 minutes. In the last 5 minutes of cooking, add the basil leaves.
After the resting time, drain the eggplants from the water thoroughly under running water.
Dry the eggplant cubes well with a clean cloth or paper towel.
Fry the eggplant cubes in a pan with plenty of seed oil for about 5-6 minutes and once well browned place them on absorbent paper to remove excess oil.
If you wish, you can cook the eggplant cubes in the oven or air fryer with a drizzle of oil for about 15 minutes.
Also cook the shells in salted water, taking care to drain them 3-4 minutes before the cooking time indicated on the package. As soon as drained, stop the cooking under a stream of cold water.
Set aside a little tomato sauce and pour the remaining into the pan with a little grated Parmesan, provolone cubes, ham pieces, and torn basil leaves. Mix and blend all the ingredients well.
Take a baking dish, pour some tomato puree on the bottom, sprinkle with some Parmesan, start filling the shells, and place them in the dish. Cover them with tomato sauce, add the Parmesan and breadcrumbs, and transfer the dish to the oven.
Cook the shells in a static oven at 350°F for about 25-30 minutes or ventilated for 20 minutes.
The eggplant Parmesan shells will be ready when they form a light crust.
Adjust the cooking time based on your oven’s power, if necessary, extend the cooking by a few minutes and, additionally, complete with a few minutes of grill.
Bring the shells to the table, let them cool for about 5 minutes, and then serve!
Storage, Tips, and Variations
The shells can be stored in the fridge for 2 days, great reheated!
Stuffed shells with eggplant Parmesan can also be prepared and assembled in advance, then baked just before serving at the table.
Stuffed shells with eggplant Parmesan can also be prepared and assembled in advance, then baked just before serving at the table.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
If I don’t have shells, what can I use?
You can also use lumaconi, cannelloni, or paccheri for stuffing.
Can I replace Parmesan with something else?
You can use grated salted ricotta or pecorino cheese.
What can I substitute for provolone?
You can use scamorza, mozzarella, or another cheese of your choice.
