The rustic puff pastry with grilled eggplant, tomato and mozzarella is a savory pastry made with a rectangular roll of puff pastry, grilled eggplant, tomato purée and mozzarella. It’s an easy, fast and very indulgent recipe, perfect for a quick family lunch or dinner. The outer crust stays crispy and golden while the filling is warm, soft and melty. The grilled eggplants give a rustic note without making it too heavy, combined with the sweetness of the tomato purée and a beautifully stringy mozzarella center. It’s a great recipe to prepare in 30 minutes for a last-minute special dinner or for an aperitif with friends. If you enjoy puff pastry recipes you can also try:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Budget-friendly
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Cooking time: 35 Minutes
- Portions: 3 People
- Cooking methods: Stovetop, Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients to make the rustic puff pastry with grilled eggplant, tomato and mozzarella
- 1 roll puff pastry (rectangular)
- 1 eggplant (medium)
- 5 oz mozzarella for pizza
- to taste salt
- to taste grated Grana Padano
- to taste milk (for brushing)
- to taste sesame seeds
Tools
- Baking tray
- Small bowl
- Spoon
- Cutting board
- Brush
- Grill / griddle
Steps to make the rustic puff pastry with grilled eggplant, tomato and mozzarella
To make the rustic puff pastry with grilled eggplant, tomato and mozzarella start by washing the eggplant well, remove the ends and slice it into fairly thin slices using a knife. Heat a griddle or grill pan well and grill the eggplant on both sides. Now take a rectangular roll of puff pastry and unroll it. In a small bowl pour the tomato purée and salt and mix. Meanwhile preheat the conventional oven to 392°F. On the half of the pastry you will use, spread the tomato purée first.
Then place the eggplant slices, sprinkle with salt, add the mozzarella and a little grated Grana Padano. Then create a second layer of eggplant, mozzarella and Grana.
Fold the puff pastry like a book and seal the edges well by folding them inward with your hands or with the tines of a fork. Make some cuts on the surface with a knife and brush with milk (I used whole milk) and sprinkle the surface with sesame seeds.
Bake in the oven at 392°F (conventional oven) for about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, let cool and then cut your rustic pastry into cubes or larger pieces.
Storage and tips
You can store the rustic pastry in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
To reheat, avoid the microwave as it would make the puff pastry rubbery. To restore crispness, heat the slices in a hot oven for about 5 minutes or in an air fryer for a couple of minutes.
If you like, you can also add some dried oregano to the tomato purée.
