Eggplant dumplings alla Parmigana

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 90 g breadcrumbs
• 1 kg eggplant(s)
• 150 ml olive oil for frying
• 100 g ricotta
• 100 g Parmesan, grated
• 10 g parsley, fresh
• 1 egg(s)
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 tbsp flour
• 6 garlic cloves
• 15 g basil, fresh
• 2 cans of tomatoes, peeled
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tsp tomato paste
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp chili flakes
• 1 tsp sweet paprika powder
• 2 tsp oregano, dried
• 45 g Kalamata olives, pitted
• salt and pepper

Instructions

Working time approx. 1 hour; Rest time approx. 20 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 1 hour 30 minutes; Total time approx. 2 hours 50 minutes

Preheat the oven to 160°C fan/convection oven. Spread the breadcrumbs on a baking sheet and toast for 12 minutes until light brown. Set aside to cool, then increase the oven temperature to 200°C fan/convection oven. Wash the eggplants and cut them into 2.5cm cubes. Spread them on a baking sheet lined with baking paper and toss them with 75ml of oil, half a teaspoon of salt, and a generous grind of pepper. Roast for 30 minutes until golden brown. Chop the eggplants with the parsley, basil, and two cloves of garlic into a chunky puree. Place them in a bowl and refrigerate for 20 minutes. Then add the ricotta, 75g Parmesan cheese, the egg, egg yolk, flour, breadcrumbs, half a teaspoon of salt, and a generous grind of pepper. Mix everything well, then use oiled hands to form 16 golf-ball-sized balls from the mixture and press them together firmly. Heat two tablespoons of oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Fry half of the dumplings for 2-3 minutes until golden brown all over. For the remaining dumplings, add another tablespoon of oil to the pan. Set the dumplings aside on a plate. Preheat the oven to 180°C fan/gas mark 3. Heat the remaining two tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Chop the remaining garlic and fry in the pan until fragrant. Add the canned tomatoes, lemon juice, tomato paste, sugar, chili, paprika, oregano, a teaspoon of salt, and a generous grind of pepper. Cook for 8 minutes until the sauce has thickened slightly, stirring occasionally. Deglaze with 200ml water. Bring the sauce back to a boil and simmer over medium heat for another 10 minutes. Pour the sauce into an ovenproof dish (approx. 28 x 18 cm). Add the dumplings and bake for 20 minutes, until the sauce bubbles. Chop the olives. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the olives and the remaining Parmesan cheese. Garnish with basil. Serve with spaghetti.