Doppiete di Melanzane (Eggplant Stuffed with Spaghetti and Cheese)
Ingredients
Recipe by Dena Fenza. This dish is from Messina, Sicily and is called Doppiete di Melanzane. It is such a simple dish to create, and has such a beautiful presentation. Serve it with some crusty bread and a good red wine, and you have an amazing, authentic meal for your family. This dish can also be made ahead of time and cooked in the oven right before serving.
INSTRUCTIONS
- Boil salted pasta water. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Heat up olive oil in a frying pan. Fry the eggplant on both sides until they are tender (about 3 minutes each side). Remove from the pan and place on paper towels to drain excess oil.
- In a pot, heat 1/3 cup of olive oil and add the garlic and red pepper flakes. Saute on a low flame until the garlic is tender.
- Add the passata.
- Bring to a simmer and season with salt and pepper.
- Cook for about 10 minutes. Add the chopped basil.
- In the meantime, cook the spaghetti until al dente.
- Drain the spaghetti and put back in the pasta pot.
- To the pasta add 1 1/4 cups of the sauce, 2/3 cup of Pecorino and combine well.
- Coat the bottom of your baking dishes with some sauce.
- Lay out a few pieces of the fried eggplant along the bottom of the pan about ½ inch apart.
- Use a fork to twirl a large forkful of some spaghetti in a nest shape. Put the spaghetti on top of a piece of the eggplant. Repeat the process for all the eggplant pieces.
- Put a dollop of ricotta (about a tbsp. in each piece).
- Next sprinkle each piece with a little Pecorino and some shredded mozzarella.
- Put a little more sauce on top of each piece and then the top with another piece of eggplant.
- Repeat this process for all the eggplant pieces.
- Top each piece with extra sauce, the grated Pecorino and the remaining shredded mozzarella.
- Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes.
- Remove the foil and cook for another 15 minutes. The spaghetti should be a little crispy.
- Remove from the oven and serve.