Eggplant Imbottiti Step by Step: Pesto Pasta Stuffed Eggplant with Rustic Tomato Sauce

Roasted eggplant slices are rolled with cheese and pesto pasta, topped with chunky tomatoes in an easy vegetarian recipe perfect for Meatless Monday.


Editor's note: This is an updated version of a post that originally published in 2007. It now includes step-by-step photos, expanded eggplant tips and a recipe for arugula pesto.

When I get busy, cooking becomes less creative and more a means to an end: it's simply easier to toss something together that you don't have to think about because you've done it a hundred times before. When I'm entertaining, however, I am okay with gravitating towards something that I might not have time to cook midweek just for me. Eggplant, for example.

Several years ago, while preparing to cook for a friend, I wanted to make a light vegetarian dish that would look gorgeous plated and taste as good as it looked. Holding a beautiful glossy eggplant while standing in the produce section at the market, the image of a dish I once had at a restaurant flashed through my mind. It was an eggplant dish that had just about made me swoon! The menu listed it as imbottiti – thin slices of eggplant topped with pasta and cheese, then rolled and baked. It was served garnished with chopped tomatoes.

So I bought the eggplant, took it home and made my version of the dish from memory. Even though it had been a long time since I'd enjoyed the restaurant version, my recreation was successful and a hit at dinner.

After making it several more times, I posted the recipe and photo shortly after I started this blog in 2007. I received notes from people who had the restaurant's version of the dish and were happy to find my recipe so they could make it at home.

In those early days of blogging, I rarely took step-by-step photos. When I decided to include this recipe as part of my column for my local newspaper, I had to make the dish again to include them as well as my recipe for Basil Arugula Pesto, something I hadn't done initially. 


I invited my youngest sister – an avid home cook – to help. She was enthusiastic about playing photo assistant and "sous chef." However, she admitted to not being an eggplant lover, her only exposure having had the eggplant tossed into stir fry takeout. "They're so bitter!" she exclaimed.

"They don't have to be," I told her.

How to shop for an eggplant

Years ago, while watching an episode of Alton Brown's "Good Eats," he shared some tips to employ when choosing eggplants that have never let me down:
  • Check the eggplant's globe end and note the shape of the dimple. Is it round or oval? The flower the fruit grew from was male (yes, eggplant is considered a fruit). These eggplants are more likely to have fewer seeds. A thin wavy line or dash indicates the flower was female and more likely to have more seeds. Eggplant seeds are bitter; more seeds, more bitterness. (A note about the meaning of these dimples: Some sources claim this is a myth, but my personal experience has been that these dimples have been good indicators of potential bitterness, so I stand by Alton's explanation and continue to share it.)
  • Choose eggplants with a rich purple color and glossy, taut skin. The eggplant is too mature and bitter if the gloss or color is dull.
  • If you have a choice between a large eggplant and a smaller one, take the smaller one. Again, a less mature eggplant naturally has fewer seeds.

Even off the vine, an eggplant continues to produce more seeds as it sits around waiting for you to cook it. Many sources tell you that you can store eggplant in the vegetable crisper of your refrigerator for 4 to 5 days. I've found that to be too long of a wait. Cutting into a 5-day-old eggplant, you're likely to find a center turned brownish from seeds — too many, even for this eggplant lover. I cook my eggplants within a day or two to keep the bitterness at bay.

Many recipes (even some of mine in my early days of recipe writing) state to salt cut up eggplant before cooking to draw out the bitterness. Because I carefully choose my eggplants, I don't worry about bitterness. I will sometimes still salt the eggplant if I need the excess moisture drawn out from the flesh before frying. To be honest, even though I've heard pro cooks say that it adds flavor, I rarely pre-salt it, especially if I'm in a hurry. Skipping the salting step cuts down on preparation time with no discernable taste difference to my tastebuds.

Admittedly, cooking eggplant is a little more involved than holding down asparagus spears in one hand, cutting off the woody ends, then steaming or sauteing them to quick perfection. But it isn't THAT much harder. I've tossed chunks into stir-fries, sliced them into planks for eggplant "steaks," lightly breaded them and stacked them with rounds of fresh mozzarella for an easy parmigiana, grilled them to use as a pizza topping, and roasted them directly on the grates of a gas stove for homemade baba ganoush.

When my sister pulled the roasted eggplant slices from the oven, I took one and popped half into my mouth. I gave her the other. Her, "Mmmmm, that's good!" told me I had proven my point that not all eggplant is bitter. When we sat down to eat our finished dish at the end of the photo shoot, she was surprised at how much she loved it.

I was thrilled to have successfully converted another family member to food we didn't grow up eating, which always makes me happy.

Let's get cooking!


Start by making the pesto. In a small, dry skillet, toast the pine nuts until golden and fragrant. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside. 


To make things easier, I like to measure all my ingredients and have them at the ready before I start processing. This ensures I don't over-process anything or miss an ingredient.


Attach the s-blade to a food processor. Add basil first, followed by arugula, pine nuts, parmesan, garlic, salt and pepper.


Process until you reach desired consistency. I like it to resemble a coarse sand texture.


With the machine running, pour in the olive oil, then the lemon juice.


Process until the liquid has been incorporated. Transfer to an air-tight container. Top off the container with olive oil, completely covering the pesto. This will keep the pesto from oxidizing. Set aside while you work on the eggplant. The finished pesto will keep in the refrigerator for up to a week. 


Now, let's get started on the eggplant. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Slice off the green leaves at the top of the eggplant, then cut the top off.


Cut a thin slice off one side to expose the flesh. Repeat this on the opposite side. These two mostly skin pieces can be discarded.


Thinly slice the eggplant into 8 planks. To keep a consistent thickness, I find it best to slice the eggplant in half. Then slice each half again so you have 4 pieces. Then slice each of the 4 pieces in half to get 8, even slices.
 

Line two half-sheet baking pans with parchment paper. Add the eggplant slices in a single layer across both pans. Brush each side with olive oil. Then season each side with salt and pepper. Roast for 15 to 18 minutes, flipping the eggplant halfway through roasting, so the slices cook evenly. Remove from the oven when tender, then lower the temperature to 350 degrees.

While waiting for the eggplant to roast, boil and cook the pasta to al dente according to package directions (better to be a little under-cooked than over as the pasta will finish cooking when baked). Immediately drain when it's ready, rinsing with cold water to stop the cooking. Transfer to a bowl, tossing with ½ cup pesto; set aside.


Next, start on the rustic tomato sauce. Chop 3 to 4 tomatoes (you want about 3 cups). 


Mince the garlic. Add the tomatoes, capers, garlic, and basil to a bowl. Pour in 2 tablespoons of olive oil.


Add ½ cup of your favorite pasta sauce. Stir well to combine and season with salt and pepper to taste; set aside.


To a small bowl, add the ricotta, parmesan, mozzarella and 2 tablespoons of pesto. Mix well to combine.


Spread ½ cup of store-bought pasta sauce on the bottom of a 9- by 13-inch casserole dish. Next, spread a tablespoon of the ricotta mixture at the fat end of a slice of eggplant, stopping when you reach the middle. Bundle a tablespoon or two of the pasta with your fingers, folding and bunching it up, then place the pasta bundle on top of the ricotta, close to the bottom edge of the eggplant slice. Starting at the pasta and ricotta end, roll the eggplant, catching whatever pasta spills out and pushing it back into the roll.


Place seam-side down in the prepared baking dish.
 

Finish by topping each rolled bundle with 2 tablespoons of the fresh tomato mixture.


Bake the eggplant for 15 minutes. Let stand for five minutes, then garnish with extra basil. 


Serve with a side salad.

Basil & Arugula Pesto

I love the peppery notes that the arugula adds to this pesto; it also keeps it bright green. The lemon adds an acidic pop that cuts through the richness of the fat from the nuts, oil and cheese.

Makes about 1 cup

Ingredients

¼ cup pinenuts
2 ounces fresh basil leaves (about 2 cups)
½ cup packed arugula
¼  cup grated parmesan
1 clove garlic, peeled and roughly chopped

½ teaspoon sea salt
¼  teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼  cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Directions

Heat an 8-inch skillet on medium-low. Once hot, add pinenuts and toast, shaking the skillet to keep the pinenuts from burning. Remove when pinenuts are golden brown. Attach the s-blade blade to a food processor and toss in the basil first, followed by the rest of the dry ingredients. Process until you reach desired consistency, then add the olive oil and lemon juice; process until the liquids have been incorporated. Taste and adjust seasoning. Transfer to an air-tight container and top with olive oil to keep the top from oxidating. Store in refrigerator for up to a week.

Pesto Pasta Stuffed Eggplant with Rustic Tomato Sauce

My version of eggplant imbotitti is simple, rustic and hearty. This dish is also known as involtini de melanzane.

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

2 medium firm globe eggplants
Olive Oil
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
4 ounces. angel hair pasta
½ cup pesto, plus 2 tablespoons, divided use (see recipe above)
3 large ripe tomatoes, finely chopped (about 3 cups)
1 cup pasta sauce, divided use (use your favorite jarred or homemade sauce)
⅓ cup fresh basil leaves, plus more for garnishing
1 tablespoon capers
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 cup ricotta
⅓ cup shredded mozzarella
½ cup grated parmesan

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

Cut off the tops and bottoms of the eggplant. Stand the eggplant bottom down and carefully make a thin cut, slicing away the skin. Repeat on the opposite side (this exposes the flesh on the first and last usable slices). Slice the eggplant from top to bottom to get 8 planks from each eggplant. Tip: Score the center, make three evenly spaced scored marks on either side of the center mark, then slice down, using the scored cuts as guides.

Line two baking sheets with parchment. Brush both sides of each eggplant slice with olive oil, arranging the pieces on the baking sheets. Season each side with salt and pepper. Roast for 15 to 18 minutes, flipping the eggplant halfway through roasting, so the slices cook evenly. Remove from the oven when tender, then lower the temperature to 350 degrees.

While waiting for the eggplant to roast, boil and cook the pasta to al dente according to package directions (better to be a little under-cooked than over as the pasta will finish cooking when baked). Immediately drain when it's ready, rinsing with cold water to stop the cooking. Transfer to a bowl, tossing with ½ cup pesto; set aside.

While the pasta is cooking, add the tomatoes, capers, garlic, and basil to a bowl, tossing it with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add ½ cup of pasta sauce. Stir well to combine and season with salt and pepper to taste; set aside.

Combine the ricotta, the reserved 2 tablespoons of pesto, the mozzarella, and the parmesan in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste; set aside.

To assemble, spread the reserved ½ cup of pasta sauce (not the one with the fresh tomatoes) on the bottom of a casserole or lasagna pan (about 9- by 13-inch). Place a slice of eggplant on your work surface. Spread a tablespoon of the ricotta mixture at the fat end, stopping when you reach the middle. Bundle a tablespoon or two of the pasta with your fingers, folding and bunching it up, then place the pasta bundle on top of the ricotta, close to the bottom edge of the eggplant slice. Starting at the pasta and ricotta end, roll the eggplant, catching whatever pasta spills out and pushing it back into the roll. Place seam-side down in the prepared baking dish. Repeat with the remaining slices. Finish by topping each rolled bundle with 2 tablespoons of the fresh tomato mixture. Bake the eggplant for 15 minutes. Let stand for five minutes before serving with a side salad.

Until next time, friends... xo, ani

Comments

  1. Great recipe! Can't wait to try it!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you! I hope you love it as much as my family does!

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