The Eggplant Rolls with Smoked Cheese and Speck baked in the oven, are a tasty appetizer. Served warm at summer dinners, they can also be a main course. Eggplants are a versatile product that lend themselves to various recipes. The smoked cheese and speck complement them very well.
Recipe from 06/18/2018 Updated
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- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 30 Minutes
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 4 people
- Cooking methods: Electric Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All Seasons, Spring, Summer
Ingredients
- 2 eggplants (long or round)
- as needed coarse salt (to remove the vegetable water)
- 7 oz speck slices (thinly sliced)
- 7 oz smoked cheese (sliced)
- A few sprigs thyme
- 1.5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 10.5 oz cherry tomatoes (or tomato sauce)
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 1/2 clove garlic
- 1 oz Sardinian pecorino (grated)
- 5 leaves basil
Tools
- Kitchen scale
- Cutting board
- Parchment paper
Steps
Wash the eggplants, slice them thinly, sprinkle with a little coarse salt, and let them drain for 30 minutes. This way, they will lose the bitter vegetable water and will be softer to roll (if you find firm, seedless eggplants, you can use them without salting). Afterward, squeeze them and dry with kitchen paper. Prepare the speck and sliced smoked cheese. Place the eggplant slices on a baking tray covered with parchment paper. On each, place a slice of speck, a slice of smoked cheese, and sprinkle with thyme (do not salt). Roll the slices and secure with a toothpick. Preheat the oven to 392°F.
Pour a drizzle of oil in a pan with the chopped garlic. As soon as it turns golden, add the chopped cherry tomatoes and oregano (if you prefer, you can replace the cherry tomatoes with tomato sauce). Cook for 5 minutes, then pour over the rolls. Sprinkle with grated pecorino, oil, and bake. Cook for 30 minutes in a static oven. Serve the Eggplant Rolls with Smoked Cheese and Speck warm with a few fresh basil leaves.
