Eggplant alla pizzaiola is a delicious and easy alternative to make with eggplants. We will cook them in an air fryer for faster cooking, but alternatively, you can bake them in the oven by increasing the cooking time. This dish is simple, quick, and tasty. One of my absolute favorites. The eggplants will be very soft, and the pizzaiola dressing will make them even more irresistible.
To make melty eggplant alla pizzaiola in an air fryer, we’ll need just a few simple ingredients. Let’s see how to cook this easy and quick dish.
Also check out these eggplant recipes:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 2
- Cooking methods: Air Frying
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 1 eggplant
- to taste salt
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
- to taste oregano
- 100 ml tomato sauce
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
- to taste salt
- 3.5 oz melting cheese or mozzarella
- to taste fresh parsley
Tools
- Air Fryer
Steps
First, cut an eggplant in half. Make diagonal cuts on both halves, being careful not to break them. Transfer the two halves to the air fryer, add a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, a pinch of salt, and a sprinkle of oregano. Cook at 375°F for about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, cut the cheese into cubes and prepare a tomato sauce with the tomato paste, a pinch of salt, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Take the cooked eggplants and, while still in the air fryer basket, mash them with a fork: this way the liquid will come out and they will become creamy. Then add the tomato sauce and the cheese. Cook for another 5 minutes at 375°F, just enough to melt the cheese.
Serve the melty eggplants with some fresh parsley. Enjoy your meal.
Tips for You
✔ It is necessary to cook the eggplants alla pizzaiola directly in the basket of the air fryer without trays or parchment paper: this way they will cook thanks to the air passing 360 degrees from bottom to top, allowing for ideal air frying. Trays or parchment paper would be an impediment as they would block the air circulating inside the air fryer.
✔ I recommend using the BBQ mesh to insert directly into the non-stick basket of your air fryer: the mesh protects the non-stick of the basket (which will remain like new) and allows the food to cook evenly, letting air pass 360 degrees. You can find it on Amazon by clicking here.
✔ Alternatively, you can use perforated parchment paper, which allows air to pass from bottom to top. You can find it on Amazon by clicking here: link.
✔ For this recipe, I used the COSORI Dual Blaze 6.4 L Air Fryer, with upper and lower resistance. You can find it here: link.
Don’t miss the latest recipe for 👉 melty potato gnocchi in air fryer: a fabulous and very simple recipe at the same time!
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