Eggplant Involtini Recipe
June 21, 2013
June 21, 2013
This recipe showcases the quintessential flavors of Italy – eggplant, mozzarella, basil and tomato passata.
I love this recipe, it is:
I love the squishy mozzarella oozing from the caramelized eggplant and the zing that that sweet tomato and basil bring to the fore. I hope that you do too.
After our recent trip to Italy, I believe that my favorite thing about the Italian food we experienced was the “perfectly simple flavors’. A small number of ingredients are combined and allowed to shine with no fancy extras or fuss.
During our trip I attempted to identify the ingredient/s that gave each meal it’s amazing flavor. In hindsight there was usually no secret ingredients, just the fresh flavors of the ingredients on the plate. I loved that our regular lunch time panini were made with only Prosciutto and Pecorino cheese – that is it. There was no butter and no dressing, and none was required. The two ingredients were just perfect and drew us to repeat the experience each day.
The recipe below is the one we made first up at La Cucina del Gusto cooking school on the Amalfi Coast on the trip we won to Italy. The recipe is published on the school web site. You can find it here.This recipe is one that illustrates that a small number of ingredients, prepared with lovely fresh ingredients makes a meal that can only leave you feeling happy!
At cooking school we used the eggplants grown by the father of the waiter in the restaurant and locally made mozzarella. At home here, my eggplants are no longer in season but I could not resist getting some at my local fruit store to make this dish. I used basil from my garden and passata that I made at the start of the year from our tomato crop.
Take the edge of the eggplant and roll up and away from you
My cooking school effort
Invite your friends over this weekend and get a big baking dish full of these tasty Eggplant Involtini into the oven.
Enjoy your weekend.
This recipe is reproduced here with the kind permission from Chef Carmen.
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Love italian food! Its true – such simple flavours and so simple to make but they are soooo delicious 🙂 eggplant is my fave too
Yum!!! Delicious AND nutritious.
Wow, these look marvellous, I can practically TASTE them. I lived in Italy for a year when I was 18, quite a change from Scotland. I thought the great flavours in the food must come from that roasting sun…
I am sure that has alot to do with it Seana. Thanks for dropping by.