The white eggplant casserole is a tasty vegetarian dish, perfect for an everyday dinner. A variation of the baked gratinated eggplants recipe, equally simple and quick to prepare.
To prepare the eggplant pie, I recommend letting them rest with coarse salt. This way they will lose their vegetation water and be less bitter. After rinsing and drying them, they can be grilled.
To make this second course tasty, I alternated layers of grilled eggplants with ricotta, scamorza, and pecorino. Then, into the oven to make this dish super cheesy and irresistibly delicious. Curious to find out how to prepare it? Here is the recipe, because the white eggplant casserole will be ready in a click!
If you are interested in more eggplant recipes, also check out:
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Very Cheap
- Rest time: 30 Minutes
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 4 People
- Cooking methods: Stove, Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Summer
- Energy 312.22 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 6.99 (g) of which sugars 3.13 (g)
- Proteins 20.50 (g)
- Fat 22.91 (g) of which saturated 5.01 (g)of which unsaturated 1.72 (g)
- Fibers 2.27 (g)
- Sodium 743.20 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 160 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
- 1 eggplant
- 7 oz scamorza
- 1 cup ricotta
- 1 oz pecorino (grated)
- extra virgin olive oil (as needed for the baking dish)
- black pepper (to taste)
- dried oregano (to taste)
- coarse salt (to taste)
Tools
- Pan
- Baking Dish
- Cutting Board
- Knife
- Colander
Steps
First, wash the eggplant and remove the stem. Then cut it into not too thin slices. Place the slices in a colander alternating them with coarse salt. Let them rest for at least 30 minutes until they release their vegetation water. This step helps to obtain less bitter eggplants.
After the resting time, rinse the eggplant slices under water to remove the salt and dry them very well with kitchen paper. Then, heat a non-stick grill pan and cook the slices for 3 or 4 minutes per side. Next, cut the scamorza into slices.
Grease a baking dish and place the first layer of eggplants. Distribute a couple of tablespoons of ricotta and add a layer of scamorza slices. Then sprinkle the grated pecorino and continue in this way until all the ingredients are finished. Season with pepper and oregano. If you prefer, you can replace the oregano with other herbs of your choice, or omit it.
Bake the casserole in a preheated oven at 350°F with the fan on for 15 minutes and a couple of minutes with the grill function. The grilled eggplant casserole is ready to be served.
Storage and Tips for White Eggplant Casserole
The white eggplant casserole can be stored in the fridge for 1 or 2 days in a container with a lid.
FAQ Questions and Answers for White Eggplant Casserole
What can I substitute for ricotta?
Instead of ricotta, you can use stracchino, or omit it.
Can I replace scamorza with smoked scamorza?
Yes, if you like the smoky flavor, you can use smoked scamorza or replace it with mozzarella or provolone.
