Aubergines alla Napoletana

Ingredients for 3 servings:

• 2 eggplants, approx. 600 g
• 200 g tomatoes (preferably cocktail tomatoes)
• 1 tsp tomato paste
• 3 garlic cloves
• Sea salt
• 1 chili pepper(s), dried, hot
• Pesto alla Genovese, 1 – 2 tbsp
• olive oil
• Sunflower oil
• Salt

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Rest time approx. 4 hours; Cooking/baking time approx. 25 minutes; Total time approx. 4 hours 55 minutes

Mushroom-fed eggplant

Quarter the eggplants lengthwise and then cut crosswise into 3 x 3 cm cubes. Salt the cubes on all sides and let stand for a few hours. Squeeze out any excess liquid and pat the pieces dry with kitchen paper. In a wide casserole dish, fry the eggplants over medium heat in half olive oil and half sunflower oil with the finely chopped chili pepper for 5 minutes, do not stir. Turn everything over, add more oil if necessary, and fry for another 5 minutes, do not stir. Turn everything over again and fry for another 5 minutes. Push the eggplants aside, briefly roast the garlic in the oil, add the tomato paste, mix with 1 tablespoon of water, and sauté for another 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, add the roughly chopped tomatoes (only halve cocktail tomatoes), and heat covered for another 5 minutes. Season with 1-2 tablespoons of pesto and sea salt. Tips: Drizzle with olive oil on the plate. The dish tastes best served lukewarm. Serve with white bread and a spicy cheese. P.S. In my experience, no other “Italian herbs” go well with this dish! The original recipe from Naples is called “Melanzane a funghetto.” It uses basil instead of pesto; I prefer pesto.