If you love stuffed vegetables and want to try a different variant, the eggplants stuffed with pesto will win you over at first bite. After experimenting with many stuffed eggplant recipes – from the classic meat-stuffed eggplants, to those with rice, to the simpler boat-style eggplants – this version pleasantly surprised me for its ease and unique taste. The sweetness of the eggplants blends with the fresh aroma of Genoese pesto, creating a creamy and fragrant filling, enriched with stringy cheese, parmesan, and breadcrumbs.
The eggplants stuffed with pesto are perfect as a light but tasty vegetarian main, ideal to serve on the table when looking for flavorful but not too demanding dishes. With few and simple ingredients – eggplants, pesto, eggs, cheese, and breadcrumbs – you’ll get an easy and genuine recipe that everyone will love.
Serve them fresh out of the oven or warm: they will always be irresistible. The eggplants stuffed with pesto will become one of your favorite recipes, to remake whenever you want to impress with simplicity and taste.
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- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Very Cheap
- Preparation time: 35 Minutes
- Portions: 4 People
- Cooking methods: Oven, Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Spring, Summer, and Fall
- Energy 439.26 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 30.74 (g) of which sugars 12.21 (g)
- Proteins 21.32 (g)
- Fat 27.33 (g) of which saturated 4.58 (g)of which unsaturated 2.68 (g)
- Fibers 9.90 (g)
- Sodium 364.11 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 297 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for Eggplants Stuffed with Pesto
If you are celiac, besides using gluten-free breadcrumbs, make sure that the Genovese pesto is labeled “gluten-free”.
- 2 large black oval eggplants (about 1.3 lbs each)
- 3 tablespoons Genoese pesto
- 1/2 cup Parmigiano Reggiano DOP (grated)
- 1 cup breadcrumbs (for me gluten-free)
- 1 egg
- 5.3 oz scamorza
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pinch salt
Tools
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Knife
- 1 Fruit Corer
- Parchment Paper
- 1 Pan non-stick
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Baking Tray
How to Prepare Eggplants Stuffed with Pesto
To prepare the eggplants stuffed with pesto, start by washing the eggplants and removing the stem. Cut them in half lengthwise, then with a knife score the pulp a few millimeters from the skin (1). With a melon baller or a spoon, remove the pulp, leaving a thin layer attached to the skin (2). Salt the insides of the shells and lightly oil them (you can use an oil sprayer or a kitchen brush) (3).
Bake them in a preheated oven at 356°F for about 15 minutes, until they are slightly softened (4). This step is not essential: you can also stuff the raw shells and cook them along with the filling. However, I prefer a brief pre-cooking because the eggplant skins can sometimes be tough and risk staying hard. Meanwhile, roughly chop the reserved pulp (5). In a non-stick pan, pour 2 or 3 tablespoons of oil and heat it well (6).
Add the eggplant pulp and lightly salt it (7). Cook it over high heat for about ten minutes, until it is soft and golden (8). Turn off the heat and transfer it to a bowl. Let it cool slightly. Meanwhile, cut the scamorza into cubes (9).
Add the breadcrumbs and parmesan to the bowl (10), setting aside a generous tablespoon to garnish the stuffed eggplants. Mix well and also add the pesto (11) and the scamorza cubes (12).
Lastly, add the egg, previously beaten in a small bowl (13). Mix carefully until you get a homogeneous and rather soft mixture (14). Take the shells and fill them with the stuffing, pressing well to adhere to the shells (15).
Line a baking tray with parchment paper and lightly oil it. Place the stuffed eggplants on it and garnish with the remaining grated parmesan. Finish with a drizzle of oil (16). Bake the eggplants stuffed with pesto in the preheated oven at 356°F (static) for about 25 minutes, until the surface is golden and gratinated.
Remove them from the oven and let them rest for a few minutes outside: they are excellent both hot and at room temperature.
Storage
The eggplants stuffed with pesto can be stored in the refrigerator, closed in an airtight container, for 2 days. When serving, you can reheat them in the oven at 320°F for 10 minutes or in the microwave. Freezing is not recommended, as the texture of the eggplant tends to become watery after defrosting.
Tips and Variations
The eggplants stuffed with pesto lend themselves to various reinterpretations: you can enrich them with grains – a few tablespoons of already cooked rice, farro, or couscous transform them into a complete single dish – nuts (pine nuts, almonds, or chopped walnuts), or other vegetables, like zucchini or bell peppers diced and sautéed together with the eggplant pulp, for a richer filling.
