This side dish is a summer classic for my family, even if it is traditionally from Campania. Eggplants can now be found all year round, but the winter ones are certainly missing the scent and sweetness of seasonal ones.
Melanzane a funghetto: Mushroom-style eggplant
- Preparation time: 30 minutes
- Ingredients for 6 servings
- Difficulty: Easy recipe
- Ingredients
- 4 eggplants
- 2 cloves of garlic
- Basil leaves to taste
- Extra virgin olive oil to taste
- Salt to taste
- Instructions
- Wash the eggplants. Remove four strips of the skin with a potato peeler and then cut them into good-sized chunks.
- In a non-stick pan, cook covered over low heat together with the poached garlic cloves for a few minutes.
- When they are soft, remove the lid, add the oil, and brown over high heat until completely cooked. Season.
- With the heat off, add the basil leaves.
- They can be served either hot or lukewarm.
Tips to ensure the success of the dish:
- Today’s eggplants don’t normally need to be purged but, if you have the time, it’s still a useful step. Toss them into a colander and sprinkle them with a generous helping of salt. When you’re all done, let them sit in the colander for a good 30 minutes or more. Wash and dry them well before cooking.
- The eggplants usually need a lot of oil, so it’s better to start cooking dry and add the oil only at a later time.
