Stuffed Eggplants with Cheese in Tomato Sauce

Delicious baked eggplants with cheese and tomatoes are so tasty and flavorful that you wont miss the meat at all. This dish will also impress you with its beautiful appearance, as the eggplants are sliced before baking to open up like a fan, and then slices of cheese and tomatoes are inserted between the cuts. The dish is topped with a tomato sauce and baked to perfection in the oven.

Details

  • Preparation Time: 14 minutes
  • Cooking Time: 90 minutes
  • Difficulty: 2
  • Spiciness: 0
  • Number of Servings: 4

Ingredients

  • 2 piece Eggplant, raw

  • 0.5 piece Onion, raw

  • pieces Oil, olive

  • 2 pod Garlic, fresh

  • 680 g Tomato, pieces - can

  • 1 teaspoon Spices, oregano, dried

  • 1 teaspoon Spices, basil, dried

  • pieces Salt, table

  • pieces Tomato, red

  • 300 g Cheese, mozzarella

  • pieces Basil, fresh

  • 50 g Cheese, Parmesan, grated

  • pieces Nuts, pine nuts, dried

Steps

  1. Wash the eggplants and tomatoes under running water. Dry the eggplants, then slice them with a sharp knife, making sure not to cut all the way through. The slices should still be connected at the stem. The slices should be thin so they can bake nicely. Salt both sides well and let them sit for about 30 minutes to release excess water.

  2. Meanwhile, prepare the tomato sauce. Peel and finely chop the onion and garlic separately. Heat oil in a deep pan and sauté the onion until it becomes translucent. Add the garlic and sauté just until fragrant.

  3. Pour the strained tomatoes into the pan and add salt, pepper, basil, and oregano. Mix the sauce well and let it simmer on medium heat for 20 to 30 minutes. Taste it towards the end of cooking and adjust the seasoning if needed.

  4. Pour about half of the tomato sauce into the baking dish where you will bake the eggplants. Dry the eggplant slices well with paper towels, then spread them out to resemble a fan. Place the opened eggplants into the prepared baking dish.

  5. Slice the tomatoes and mozzarella into thin slices. Brush the eggplant slices with olive oil (using a brush), then layer them with slices of tomato and mozzarella. On each eggplant slice, add about two slices of cheese and one slice of tomato. You can also place a fresh basil leaf on the mozzarella.

  6. Once both eggplants are prepared, add the remaining tomato sauce to the baking dish. Drizzle the eggplants with a little more olive oil and sprinkle grated Parmesan on top.

  7. Cover the baking dish (use a lid or aluminum foil) and bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius for about one hour. Uncover the dish for the last 20 minutes of baking to let the dish brown nicely. The eggplant should become completely tender during baking.

  8. Let the dish rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Optionally, add a bit of basil pesto to the eggplants. Enjoy the dish with crusty bread or as a side to the main course.

Nutrition Information (Per 100g)

  • Calories: 99.22 kcal
  • Fat: 6.24 g
    • Saturated Fat: 2.7 g
  • Carbohydrates: 5.09 g
    • Sugars: 1.04 g
  • Protein: 4.99 g
  • Fiber: 1.2 g