There are days when creativity is lacking, especially when you are in a hurry and want to prepare something quick yet tasty and decorative to bring to the table! Sometimes browsing here and there on the web, I take inspiration, to then express my flair with small changes in the quantities or preparation methods during the various steps. This eggplant tower recipe is one of those that immediately caught my attention years ago! Compared to the original recipe, however, I preferred to add an extra layer, also using the smaller slices of eggplant, which are usually discarded. By now you know, I don’t like food waste and nothing gets thrown away in my house! Taking advantage of the need to renew the photos on the blog, because the previous ones were really unacceptable, I gladly reprised them for tonight’s dinner. What can I say? Very light and at the same time delicious! Simply seasoned with oil, salt, and oregano, they turn into tasty treats thanks to that touch of melted Emmental cheese that melts perfectly during cooking. They thus lend themselves to becoming a truly appetizing and decorative finger food appetizer, but also a perfect all-vegetarian-style main dish!
All “vegetarian” recipes are without meat and/or fish… (N.B. there may be the use of other animal protein-based foods, such as eggs and cheese).
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Cheap
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients:
- 2 medium black eggplants
- 3 oblong tomatoes
- 2.8 oz sliced Emmental cheese
- 1.8 oz Parmigiano Reggiano DOP (grated)
- dried oregano (abundant)
- A few leaves basil
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
- to taste salt
Preparation:
Wash the eggplants, dry them, remove the stem, and cut them into slices about 1/4 inch thick, widthwise (fig. 1)
Transfer and arrange the eggplant slices on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (fig. 2).
Brush each one with olive oil (fig. 3).
Salt and place in a preheated oven at 392°F for about 20 minutes or until the slices appear softer and golden (fig. 4).
Once cooked, take the eggplant slices out of the oven and let them cool slightly (fig. 5).
Start composing your towers. In an oiled baking dish, arrange the first larger slices of eggplant as the base (fig. 6).
Season with roughly broken rosemary (fig. 7).
Meanwhile, wash, dry, and cut the tomatoes into not too thick slices, then season them with oil, salt, and plenty of rosemary (fig. 8).
Once seasoned, place each tomato slice on the eggplant bases (fig. 9).
Add slices of Emmental to each tower and repeat the operation (fig. 10).
Proceed to make another 2 layers with another slice of eggplant (fig. 11).
Then the tomato, Emmental, oregano, and a drizzle of oil (fig. 12).
Seal with a toothpick to keep the towers steady during cooking and thus prevent them from collapsing (fig. 13).
Finish with a drizzle of oil and sprinkle the composed towers with grated Parmigiano (fig. 14).
Place in a preheated oven at 392°F for another 20 minutes or until the cheese has melted.
Serve them warm with another drizzle of oil and a few basil leaves.
And voilà… your melted eggplant towers are ready to be enjoyed!
Close-up detail.
And Enjoy Your Meal from FeFè’s kitchen!
