Description
A delicious Italian-style stuffed aubergine recipe featuring tender baked aubergine shells filled with a savory mixture of sautéed onion, garlic, tomatoes, olives, fresh basil, and melted vegetarian mozzarella, topped with crispy breadcrumbs for a perfect finish.
Ingredients
Scale
Aubergines
- 2 aubergines
- 2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
Filling
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 12 cherry tomatoes, halved
- 50g pitted green olives, chopped
- Handful basil leaves, chopped
- 125g ball vegetarian mozzarella, torn into bite-size pieces
Topping
- Handful fresh white breadcrumbs
Instructions
- Prepare the aubergines: Preheat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan/gas mark 7). Slice each aubergine lengthways, keeping the stem intact. Using a small knife, cut a border about ½-1 cm thick inside each half. Scoop out the flesh carefully with a teaspoon to create hollow shells. Brush the aubergine shells with some olive oil, season with salt and pepper, place them in a baking dish, cover with foil, and bake for 20 minutes.
- Prepare the filling: While the aubergine shells bake, chop the scooped-out flesh and set aside. Heat the remaining olive oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add the finely chopped onion and cook until soft and translucent. Stir in the chopped aubergine flesh and cook thoroughly. Add the garlic and halved cherry tomatoes, cooking for an additional 3 minutes until softened.
- Combine filling ingredients: Remove the pan from heat and stir in the chopped green olives, chopped basil leaves, and torn vegetarian mozzarella. Season the mixture with salt and pepper to taste.
- Stuff and bake aubergines: Remove the baked aubergine shells from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 200°C (180°C fan/gas mark 6). Fill each aubergine shell generously with the prepared filling. Sprinkle fresh white breadcrumbs evenly over the top and drizzle a little more olive oil on each. Bake uncovered for 15-20 minutes until the cheese is melted and gooey, and the breadcrumbs turn golden brown.
- Serve: Serve the stuffed aubergines warm, accompanied by a fresh green salad for a complete Italian-inspired meal.
Notes
- For a gluten-free option, substitute the white breadcrumbs with gluten-free breadcrumbs.
- Vegetarian mozzarella can be replaced with vegan cheese to make the dish vegan.
- Make sure to season the aubergine shells and filling generously for enhanced flavor.
- Leftover stuffing can be used as a topping for pasta or as a flavorful dip.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Keywords: stuffed aubergine, Italian aubergine recipe, vegetarian stuffed vegetables, baked aubergines, mozzarella stuffed aubergine
