Baked Eggplant With Ricotta, Mozzarella and Anchovy

Name: Baked Eggplant With Ricotta, Mozzarella and Anchovy
Total time: 2 h
Yield: 6 to 8 servings
Cuisine: italian
Ingredients: Extra-virgin olive oil; 3 or 4 small eggplants (about 2 pounds), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch slices; Salt and pepper; Pinch of crushed red pepper; 1 small red onion, thinly sliced; 12 ounces fresh ricotta; 1/2 pound smoked mozzarella, thinly sliced (or use fresh mozzarella); 2 cups provolone cheese, coarsely grated (about 1/2 pound); 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan or Grana Padano cheese (about 2 ounces); 1/2 cup finely grated pecorino cheese (about 2 ounces); 12 anchovy fillets; 1/4 cup toasted bread crumbs, preferably homemade; 1 teaspoon dried oregano, preferably Sicilian

By David Tanis

Total Time: 2 hours
Rating: 4(689)
Comments: Read comments

I learned this dish from a Sicilian cook in a small town outside Palermo. She makes it by layering thinly sliced eggplant with fresh curd cheese and caciocavallo (I use fresh ricotta and provolone instead), as well as pecorino and Parmesan cheese — a bit like a lasagna without pasta. It is quite delicious and unusual in that there is no tomato sauce, as there often is in so many Sicilian baked eggplant dishes. The anchovies, melted into the crisp bread-crumb-and-cheese topping, provide a sharp contrast to the sweetness of the eggplant. I like to serve a tomato salad alongside.

Featured in: Eggplant Favorites, Rooted in Sicily

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Ingredients

Yield:6 to 8 servings

Extra-virgin olive oil
3 or 4small eggplants (about 2 pounds), peeled and cut into ½-inch slices
Salt and pepper
Pinch of crushed red pepper
1small red onion, thinly sliced
12ounces fresh ricotta
½pound smoked mozzarella, thinly sliced (or use fresh mozzarella)
2cups provolone cheese, coarsely grated (about ½ pound)
½cup finely grated Parmesan or Grana Padano cheese (about 2 ounces)
½cup finely grated pecorino cheese (about 2 ounces)
12anchovy fillets
¼cup toasted bread crumbs, preferably homemade
1teaspoon dried oregano, preferably Sicilian

Ingredient Substitution Guide

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Preparation

Step 1
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Generously oil a 9- by 13-inch baking dish. Season eggplant slices on both sides with salt and pepper. Arrange half the eggplant slices in one layer on bottom of dish, overlapping slices slightly. Drizzle or paint eggplant generously with olive oil. Sprinkle with crushed red pepper to taste and scatter onion slices evenly over surface.
Step 2
With a small spoon, distribute the ricotta in little blobs evenly over surface, then arrange half the smoked mozzarella over the ricotta. Sprinkle with 1 cup grated provolone.
Step 3
Make another layer of overlapping slices with remaining seasoned eggplant. Drizzle or paint eggplant generously with olive oil. Top surface evenly with remaining smoked mozzarella and provolone, then sprinkle with Parmesan and pecorino. Arrange anchovy fillets over top and sprinkle with bread crumbs.
Step 4
Bake uncovered for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until eggplant is quite tender when pierced with a fork and top is crisp and golden. (If top seems to be browning too quickly, tent with foil and reduce heat to 350 degrees.) Remove from oven, dust with oregano and let rest at least 20 minutes before cutting into squares. The dish is best served at room temperature, not piping hot.

Ratings

4 out of 5

689 user ratings

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Comments

Rob-in-Philly7 years ago

Have to chuckle at the people who try to replace anchovies in everything. If you don't tell them they are there, in most recipes, they would never know, as they melt away to pure unami...but take them away and the recipe looses a hidden layer of natural saltiness that olives, capers and other substitutes can't really provide. That said, thinly sliced or chopped salt cured black olives are a great ADDITION to the dish!

Deborah7 years ago

The accompanying photo shows eggplant that has not been peeled (or at least that's what it looks like to me) in contrast to the instructions. I could imagine the recipe with peeled or unpeeled eggplant, but would appreciate knowing if, in fact, it does need to be peeled. In any case it does sound delizioso. I also appreciate the convenience of not having to fry the eggplant first in preparation.

Iowa Ron7 years ago

I live in a small city -- 23,000 folks -- in Iowa. My choices for anchovies are limited to the Roland brand. I haven't seen another brand since leaving NYC 10 years ago. Is there a brand that is universally beloved that I might order online? Thanks. Ron

Notnef3 months ago

Made this dish for dinner tonight for 4 friends — probably one of the most unappetizing looking, salty things I’ve ever made. An obscene amount of salty cheeses that totaled about $55 (in cheese alone.) Never thought to mix red onion and eggplant and now I know why.

Jaimee Tahiti6 months ago

I made this dish on Thanksgiving with my daughter. It was so delicious

ABG8 months ago

I didn't love this. I think cutting the eggplant slightly thinner and peeling it (to answer the peeling debate) would have helped. I used 1/2 the provolone, just because I thought the casserole was going to overflow. And I didn't have pecorino, so omitted that. They were not missed. But otherwise I followed the recipe. I wish there was a good way to distribute the anchovy throughout. As is, you either get no anchovy or get too much anchovy in each bite.

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