I love eggplants prepared in every way, but my favorite versions remain breaded, grilled and especially like this: savory oven-baked eggplant. Crispy on the outside, soft inside and full of flavor, they are a true explosion of taste. One of those recipes that, after the first bite, makes you immediately want seconds.
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 15 Minutes
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Cooking time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 2
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Summer
Ingredients
- 1 large eggplant
- 4 slices cooked ham
- 3 hard-boiled eggs
- 1 mozzarella (ball)
- extra virgin olive oil
- salt
Preparation
Cut the eggplant into slices about 3/8 inch thick. You can choose to keep or remove the peel. Place them in a colander, sprinkle with a little salt and let them rest for about 15 minutes to remove excess water.
Meanwhile, if you haven’t done so yet, boil the eggs until hard-boiled. Once ready, peel and slice them.
Preheat the oven to 428°F.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and drizzle a little oil. Arrange the eggplant slices on top, gently patting them dry with paper towels.
On each slice place a slice (or half, depending on the size) of cooked ham, one or two slices of hard-boiled egg and a slice of mozzarella. Cover with another eggplant slice, forming a sort of “sandwich”.
Drizzle a little more oil on top and bake at 428°F for about 30 minutes.
Before removing from the oven, check doneness by tasting a small piece: the eggplants should be soft and well cooked inside. If necessary, extend the cooking time by a few minutes.
Serve hot, gooey and super flavorful!
Tips
You can replace the mozzarella with Galbanino or Fontina for a stronger, stretchier flavor. The cooked ham can also be replaced with turkey breast for a lighter but still tasty version.
These eggplants are great both hot and cold, so they’re perfect as a make-ahead summer dish.
As an alternative to oven cooking, you can cook them in a skillet. In this case the eggplants should first be browned on their own for a few minutes to soften. Then assemble the “tower” and finish cooking over very low heat, covered, for about 20 minutes, turning gently halfway through.
