Baked Eggplant with Ricotta, Mozzarella and Anchovy
NY Times Cooking
David Tanis
Yield: 6 to 8 servings

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

Heat oven to 375 o. Generously oil a 9-13-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 suface. 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. 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. 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 350o.) 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.

NOTE: David Tanis notes that this dish is from a Sicilian cook in a small town outside Palermo and that it is unusual because most eggplant dishes from that area are made with tomato sauce.

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