Aubergine and mozzarella rounds make a delicious starter, side dish, or light lunch. It is the perfect accompaniment to some simple grilled meat or fish.
This recipe serves four people. However, as mozzarella tends to come in 150 or 200g packets, you should adjust it accordingly to avoid throwing out good food. It can be served hot or cold, so if there is any leftover, have it the next day with some crusty bread for a light lunch.
Aubergine and Mozzarella Rounds
Ingredients
- 150g (5oz) mozzarella cheese, sliced thinly
- 3 tablespoons passata or tomato sauce (heat a can of tomatoes with a pinch of sugar, two chopped garlic cloves, and a pinch of salt. Simmer for 20 minutes and add fresh basil and olive oil at the end)
- 2 aubergines, cut into slices
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Place aubergine slices in a colander, sprinkle with salt, and leave to drain for 30 minutes
- Preheat the oven
- Heat the oil, add the aubergine slices and fry until light golden brown on both sides
- Remove from the pan and pat dry with paper
- Put the aubergines in a baking tray, top with the sliced mozzarella, and put a teaspoon of passata on each slice of cheese
- Bake until the mozzarella has melted. This can be served hot or cold.
Friday 20 March, 2009 at 1:54 pm
This sounds lovely…
I’ve done a similar recipe for a main (great if there are some veggies in your dining party) and to make it heartier you add two additional layers: …the bottom is egg, herbs and bread crumbs that you fry into sort of an omelet and the other layer is wilted rocket and some chili pepper flakes.
I serve it with tagliatelle pasta and truffle butter. YUM!
It’s fairly labor intensive but pretty impressive.
Here’s the original recipe that I refer to from Gourmet Magazine – there’s a beautiful picture too!: http://www.gourmet.com/recipes/2000s/2009/01/inside-out-eggplant-parmigiana
Friday 20 March, 2009 at 2:57 pm
Another lovely aubergine starter is Aubergine, Feta cheese and sundried tomato. You cut the aubergine in long slices, salt and drain etc then wrap a slice around a square of feta and a sundried tomato. You can either grill or griddle or barbecue until golden brown. It is yummy.
Saturday 21 March, 2009 at 3:04 pm
Or eggplant parmesan, aka melanzane parmigiana. my mom breads and bakes slices of aubergine (eggplant) and in a lasagne dish makes layers of the breaded eggplant (or just plain grilled),a layer of tomato sauce and a layer of parmesan, then tops it with mozzarella
Monday 23 March, 2009 at 9:57 am
I remember making a very similar dish but using pesto instead of tomato paste. If I remember correctly, the recipe came from one of Dennis Cotter’s Cafe Paradiso cookbooks. We cooked them on the beach one summer’s day and they were delicious.