Name: Stuffed Eggplants in a Pan
Prep time: 20 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 2 eggplants; 2 mozzarella cheeses; 200 g cherry tomatoes; to taste salt; to taste extra virgin olive oil; to taste oregano; 250 g tomato sauce; 1/2 onion; to taste salt; to taste extra virgin olive oil

The eggplants stuffed and cooked in a pan are super tasty and cheesy. Easy to prepare, they’re perfect for those who don’t want to turn on the oven. Accompanied by a good tomato sauce, it’s mandatory to mop up the sauce with bread at the end of the meal.

Ideal as a main course or as a side dish.

For this recipe, medium-sized oval eggplants are recommended, and as always, I suggest buying them at local markets if you don’t grow them yourself.

As I mentioned in previous recipes, with each recipe I share a bit about myself. I had reached my teenage years, and from being shy and introverted, entering high school and meeting new people opened up a new world for me. The world of fun, wholesome and genuine, with really special people whom I still hold dear. From that moment, I changed radically, becoming outgoing, joyful, and friends with everyone. The high school days were the absolute best for me. Lots of friends, parties, discos, I didn’t miss a single one. We were four inseparable friends, two brunettes, one of which was me, a blonde, and a redhead, desk mates and adventure companions. It was the ’80s, a time of discos open on Sunday afternoons, Saturday nights on the bus singing “Today is Saturday and tomorrow there’s no school… today is Saturday and maybe it’s a special day” by Pino Daniele, and we really counted on that special day. The years when all you needed was a guitar, a place to gather, and everything was magical…

And let’s say that today, as a mom and wife, my spirit hasn’t changed but has only adapted to life’s changes, although sometimes it’s hard to suppress my rebellious and party-loving side.

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Difficulty: Easy
Cost: Cheap
Rest time: 30 Minutes
Preparation time: 20 Minutes
Portions: 4
Cooking methods: Stovetop
Cuisine: Italian
Seasonality: Spring, Summer

Ingredients for the preparation of stuffed eggplants

2 eggplants
2 mozzarella cheeses
200 g cherry tomatoes
to taste salt
to taste extra virgin olive oil
to taste oregano
250 g tomato sauce
1/2 onion
to taste salt
to taste extra virgin olive oil

Tools for the preparation of stuffed eggplants

1 Pan
1 Cutting board
1 Knife
1 Fork
1 Small pot
1 Wooden spoon

Steps for preparing the sauce

Let’s take a small pot and add some oil and chopped onions to sauté. Then, add the tomato pulp, season with salt, and cook for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon and once cooked, set aside.

To prepare the delicious stuffed eggplants, start by washing them thoroughly under water and then drying them carefully. Then wash the cherry tomatoes and cut them into pieces.
Next, take a cutting board and with a kitchen knife, halve the eggplant lengthwise. Score the flesh with crosswise cuts, as in the picture, widen the cuts with your hands and salt both inside the cracks and on the surface. After salting them, not too much, mind you, flip them over on the cutting board or on the sink countertop, and let them drain for about half an hour. After this time, dry them well with some absorbent paper.
Meanwhile, take a non-stick pan, add a bit of oil and heat it. Then add the eggplants, cut side down, cover, keep the heat low, and cook for 20 minutes, turning at least once from each side. When they are almost cooked and nicely golden, mash the flesh with a fork and remove any excess seeds. This way, you’ll have space to add your filling. Then add the grated parmesan cheese
Then add the cherry tomatoes and finally, the mozzarella previously cut into pieces and a sprinkle of oregano. Add the sauce, to the sauce that has formed during cooking, as a base seasoning, cover and cook for another 5-6 minutes, on medium heat, until the mozzarella has melted well
Once cooking is complete, let them cool slightly and serve… enjoy your meal!