Aubergine Involtini

This dish takes a bit of time to make, but can be prepared ahead of time and then baked in the oven when it's time to eat, so is ideal for dinner parties.

Ingredients:

  • 1 red onion, peeled and chopped
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tins of chopped tomatoes
  • 2 small carrots or potatoes, peeled and finely chopped
  • 2 large aubergines, washed
  • 200g feta, finely chopped
  • 125g soft goat's cheese, roughly cut
  • 100g shelled pistachio nuts, finely chopped
  • 25g grated Parmigiana cheese or vegetarian equivalent
  • 1 slice of bread, made into breadcrumbs
  • 50g grated mozzarella cheese

Method:

  1. Fry the onion in the oil in a saucepan until soft.
  2. Add the tomatoes and chopped carrots/potatoes and about 250ml of water.
  3. Bring to a simmer and then simmer for at least 20 minutes, but longer doesn't really matter. Just stir it every 5 minutes or so to check it's not burning.
  4. While the sauce simmers away, cut the top and bottom off the aubergines.
  5. Very carefully slice the aubergine along it's edge to create thin slices.
  6. Use a griddle or a frying pan on a medium to high heat to cook the aubergine for a few minutes on each side. A griddle is best as it gives the appearence of lines, but that's purely to look nice. Once cooked, set aside on a plate to cool. Unless you have a large pan you'll need to cook these a few at a time.
  7. Combine the feta, goat's cheese, pistachio nuts, Parmigiana and breadcrumbs in a large bowl and mix until it's an even mixture.
  8. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.
  9. Carefully take a slice of the aubergine and place about a teaspoon of the cheese and nut mixture into one end. Roll up the rest of the auberinge around the cheese and then place in a large and deep oven proof dish.
  10. Repeat for all of the other aubergine slices, arranging them along the bottom of the dish.
  11. By now the tomato sauce should be nicely cooked, so pour it over the top of the aubergine rolls, making sure to cover all of them with a bit of sauce.
  12. Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese over the top and then place in the oven.
  13. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the top is nicely browned.
  14. Serve with a soft Italian bread, such as focaccia.
Serves 4.

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