Eggplants are so versatile. I am always excited by their possibilities in the kitchen. Common in Mediterranean and Middle eastern cuisines as well as those of India, China and South East Asia, the spongy flesh of the eggplant readily soaks up other flavours, especially olive oil. Melanzana, the Italian word for eggplant or aubergine, is the most shady looking member of the deadly nightshade family, solanum melongena, and the Italian name, melanzana may follow from this or is derived from mela insana, which, translated into English, means mad apple. The latter may have some validity as most Europeans were fearful of members of the deadly nightshade family (including tomatoes and potatoes) and this particular member looks pretty scary! 
It can be purchased all year round but the best specimens arrive in my garden and in fresh produce markets in Autumn. When fresh, as distinct from stored, stashed, sprayed and imported, the flesh is white and seedless – there is no need to salt them at all. My seedlings were sold as the Bonica variety and while slow to mature, they produce lovely elongated but fleshy fruit.
Last week when Debi at My Kitchen Witch explored the role of breadcrumbs used as condiment (conza) in Sicilian cooking, I was reminded of a wonderful Sicilian eggplant recipe from one of my favourite books, My Taste of Sicily by Dominique Rizzo. ( Lantern, 2011). This is a gem of a book and I am slowly working my way through it.
I can recommend this little dish if you have all these goods on hand, as I did. Oh happy day! Involtini di Melanzane – Stuffed Eggplant Rolls. Serves six as a side dish or entrée, or 3-4 as a main with another side dish.
Ingredients
- 2 large eggplants cut lengthways into 1 cm slices
- 1/4 cup EV olive oil
- sea salt and black pepper
- fresh unsprayed lemon leaves ( optional but very desirable)
- 3 cups tomato passata ( either home-made or purchased)
- 2 tablespoons grated pecorino
Filling
- 1 – 2 tablespoons EV olive oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 4 anchovy fillets, chopped
- 1 Tablespoon salted capers, rinsed and chopped
- 3 Tablespoons flat leafed parsley, finely chopped
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons of tomato paste
- 1/4 cup water
- sea salt and black pepper
- 1 cup course fresh breadcrumbs ( I used left over sourdough/ use a quality bread here)
- 3/4 cup grated pecorino.
Method.
- Brush the eggplant with oil, season with salt and pepper and grill on a flat iron stove top griller. Alternately, place on a baking tray and bake for 15 minutes or until golden.
- For the filling, heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat and saute the onion and garlic for 2 minutes or until softened. Add the anchovy and stir for 1 minute, then add the capers, parsley, tomato paste, and a little water. Season to taste with salt and pepper and cook for another minute. Remove pan from the heat and combine with the breadcrumbs and pecorino: the mixture should have a thick pasty consistency. If the filling is too wet, add more breadcrumbs.
- Preheat oven to 180c.
- Place an eggplant slice on a chopping board and spoon on a tablespoon ( or less) of the filling. Roll up the eggplant slice and place in an oiled baking dish or terracotta tegame. Repeat with the remaining slices until all used. If there is any filling left, save it for stuffing another vegetable, or just eat it straight out of the pan!
- Place a lemon leaf between each roll. Pour over the tomato passata and sprinkle over the pecorino. Bake for 30 minutes.
Serve hot or at room temperature.
*I served mine with lemon couscous.
*Gluten free version? Consider using cooked arborio rice instead of breadcrumbs.
* Dairy free? Just leave out the cheese.
* No pecorino? Just use parmigiano.
Also see another version of this dish, using ricotta as the stuffing, produced by the lovely Signorina at Napoli Restaurant Alert.
ALMOST ITALIAN 
Everyone’s in love with eggplants at the moment. I’ve just published a post about making melanzane alla parmigiana: a delicious controversy!
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It is a wonderful classic.
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Mmmmm, what a tasty recipe!! I shall be looking out for eggplants at the market so I can make this! Great post and pics too!
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Thanks Lizbert- this looks complex but you can throw it together pretty quickly.
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I love eggplant too! In fact I made a dish with it this morning. I love the silky texture of it 😀
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Yes, silky is the word that best describes the flesh. Caviar for the poor.
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Oh very nice, the Marito would like this version as well. Stuffed artichokes this weekend I think.
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Yum, send them to me in Bali- I love artichokes.
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This looks very tasty – I shall make it soon!
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Hi Sue, these are really robust.
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Fab!
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Nice! I love the tip of the lemon leaf inserted between the rolls. I may adapt this for zucchini involtini and perhaps add a few herbs to the breadcrumb mixture as that veg is a bit more bland than aubergine. Lots of lovely variations to be had.
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sounds like a great idea Debi. The lemon leaves are the a lovely surprise in this dish. The filling is pretty robust, with capers, anchovies and tomato paste in it. a nice al round stuffing for anything ‘ripieni’.
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It is 6am here–so why am I craving this dish RIGHT NOW?! 🙂
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I could happily eat this for breakfast. But what are you doing up so early?
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work calls out to me….the ONLY reason! 🙂
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This looks eye poppingly vibrant and delicious! I do a similar version of this but never with the lemon leaf in there, will be trying that next. Those eggplants are spectacular.
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The lemon leaves add a distinctly Siciliana touch as do the capers in the stuffing. I think that stuffing could be popped in anything really, besides directly into my mouth.
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yum, I love eggplant any which way! I just need to find a lemon tree to steal some leaves…
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yes, just carry your secateurs when out walking.
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I love eggplant too although I didn’t have it much while growing up. I do love the look of your dish – it’s very colourful xx
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Yum! I’m going to try this too! Bookmarked for later .. Thanks Francesca 🙂
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great recipe and your photos are magnificent – enjoyed this post and I am bookmarking it for my summer ideas for when the eggplants come in….
thanks a bunch,.
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Yum, a fan of veges, eggplant is one of my favorites. Sometimes I slice it and gently fry with scrambled eggs for breakfast, or slip a couple of slices onto the plate while the G.O. is barbequing. He’ll eat eggplant in the form of Baba Ganosh but not otherwise. I’m hoping when we have a garden as a source of eggplant he might be tempted but in the meantime I can but try, and take the rejected dishes for my lunch.
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I love eggplant, capers and anchovies, not to mention garlic. This recipe is a must. The added perk…gluten free/dairy free options. We have highly allergic people in my family so this recipe is perfetto!!
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I love the idea of the lemon leaves, will have to try. I don’t think I’ve actually tried traditional involtini, just Nigella’s version described as ‘Anglicised Involtini’, I think because it includes Lancashire cheese or something similar…
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The lemon leaves are magic in this dish Beck.
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And my lemon tree is finally big enough to spare some 🙂
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