Oven-baked dumplings

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 2 small eggplants
• 1 m.-large fennel
• ½ m.-sized pepper(s), yellow
• 2 small carrots
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 spring onion(s)
• 400 g tomatoes, peeled from the can, drained, crushed
• 1 shot of red wine, as desired
• Salt
• Pepper, black from the mill
• ½ bunch parsley, freshly chopped
• ½ bunch basil, freshly chopped
• some oregano, freshly chopped
• 100 g cheese, grated (Pecorino)
• 24 pasta (large conchiglioni/shell pasta), at least*
• olive oil

Instructions

Working time approx. 50 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 25 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour 15 minutes

Mediterranean sauce made from eggplant, fennel, tomatoes, peppers and carrots topped with pecorino

Cut the eggplant into small cubes, no larger than 1×1 cm, place in a sieve, sprinkle with salt, and let it sweat out for 30 minutes to remove the bitterness. Cook the pasta shells in boiling salted water until al dente (it’s important that they are not fully cooked; this makes them easier to stuff and doesn’t become too soft during gratin). Drain carefully and set aside. Make sure they are not broken or curled up, otherwise they will become impossible to stuff. Place them side by side in a large, greased casserole dish with the opening facing up. Cut the cleaned bell peppers into thin strips, remove the fingers and stem from the fennel bulb (reserving the green parts). Peel the carrots and finely dice them. Finely chop the garlic and spring onions. Squeeze the eggplants dry and pat them dry. Heat a little oil in a large pan, lightly brown the eggplant cubes, and set aside. If necessary, add more oil to the pan, gradually add the garlic, spring onions and remaining vegetables and fry for a few minutes, stir in the tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. If desired, add a splash of red wine or the juice of the tomatoes, add the aubergines and continue to simmer. Add half of the prepared herbs and the chopped fennel greens, season to taste and season to taste. The sauce should be slightly thickened and not too runny. Preheat the oven to 180°C fan/gas mark 3. Spoon 2 teaspoons of the sauce into the shells in portions. Sprinkle with grated pecorino and bake in the oven for about 25 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining herbs before serving. *Tip: It’s better to cook a few extra pasta pieces, as those that break during cooking are difficult to fill.