Light stuffed eggplants.
Mulincianeddi chini.
In Sicily, there is a variety of small eggplants that are filled in various ways.
They are usually fried and then finished cooking in tomato sauce.
Today I want to present my light version, also filled with lean ground meat, then cooked in two steps in the oven.
This is a complete and very tasty dish, it should be prepared at least 2 hours before being consumed because it tastes better when cold.
Moreover, with the leftover filling and sauce, you can dress a fabulous pasta dish.

Thought for you:

Difficulty: Easy
Cost: Very cheap
Rest time: 1 Hour
Preparation time: 30 Minutes
Portions: 5
Cooking methods: Electric oven
Cuisine: Regional Italian
Region: Sicily
Seasonality: Summer

490.89 Kcal

calories per serving

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Energy 490.89 (Kcal)
Carbohydrates 34.74 (g) of which sugars 8.88 (g)
Proteins 27.76 (g)
Fat 28.48 (g) of which saturated 10.44 (g)of which unsaturated 8.70 (g)
Fibers 8.81 (g)
Sodium 454.86 (mg)

Indicative values for a portion of 360 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

let’s go shopping

10 eggplant (small Sicilian)
11 oz beef (lean ground)
1 Tropea red onion
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 egg
3/4 cup breadcrumbs (Sicilian seasoned)
1 oz Parmigiano Reggiano PDO (grated)
3.5 oz provola (cubed)
3 cup tomato sauce
Half teaspoon roast seasoning
10 leaves basil

Light stuffed eggplants

Tools

what I need to prepare the

Bowl
Cutting board
Knife sharp
Melon baller
Pan
Baking dish
Plastic wrap
Aluminum foil
Microwave oven
Oven

Preparation of Light Stuffed Eggplants

These are Sicilian eggplants, see the ratio between my hand and the vegetable?
This is to show you the quality.
Wash them and cut off the stem and leaves.
With a sharp knife, make a circular incision to create a “lid”
Like this, not too thick, so keep all the lids.
Now proceed: take one eggplant in your hand, and with a melon baller or a small spoon, scoop it out, taking care not to pierce it
Go as deep as possible. Collect the scooped-out pulp in a bowl, sprinkling a little salt inside each eggplant.
Turn all the eggplants upside down for at least 30 minutes to remove the bitterness. After this time, rinse them and turn them upside down again. Meanwhile, we will continue with the recipe.
Sprinkle salt on the pulp and lids as well.
If you have a microwave, place the eggplants upside down in a baking dish without anything, and cook for 30 minutes.
If you don’t have one, boil them for 10 minutes and then turn them upside down.
Meanwhile, let’s prepare the filling.
In a pan, put the chopped onion and the oil you have, and let it fry for at least 2 minutes, then…
Divide the sauté into 2 parts, keep one in a small bowl, and leave the other in the pan.
In the pan, add the ground meat, and let it cook until it changes color.
Add the roast seasoning and..
A small pinch of salt.
Mix.
When it looks like this, remove it from the pan, and put it in a bowl to cool, while in the same pan without oil…
you will cook the scooped-out pulp of the eggplants, with 1 glass of water, for about 5 minutes, stirring.
Put the rest of the sautéed onion that we had set aside in a baking dish,
Pour the tomato sauce and a pinch of salt
Add to the sauce 5 torn basil leaves, and mix.
Set aside.
Let’s complete the filling: in a bowl, put the ground meat, breadcrumbs, 5 torn basil leaves, 2 eggs, Parmigiano, salt, pepper, and the eggplant pulp.
Mix together.
With the help of a teaspoon, fill the eggplants halfway, then
Insert a cube of provola, and continue to fill it with the stuffing, up to the brim.
To complete, put the “lid” on.
Immerse all the eggplants in the sauce in the baking dish, then..
Cover first with a sheet of parchment paper, and then…
With aluminum foil.
Seal the baking dish well, this will not only avoid splashes all over the oven but will also be essential to maintain the right humidity and heat during cooking.
Cook at 375°F for one hour.
When they are cooked, take them out and let them cool.
If you have leftover filling, extend it with some tomato sauce and dress the pasta.
Here are my ready Light Stuffed Eggplants.