Eggplants from the oven

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 5 cloves garlic
• 2 large eggplants
• 125 ml olive oil
• 1 large onion(s)
• 4 tomatoes
• 500 g tomatoes, chunky (tomato pulp)
• 2 tbsp parsley, chopped
• 1 tsp honey
• Salt and pepper, black
• 50 g freshly grated cheese (Pecorino), alternatively Parmesan
• Fat for the mold

Instructions

Working time approx. 45 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 50 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour 35 minutes

Crush the garlic cloves and sprinkle with salt, then set aside. Heat the olive oil in a pan. Halve the eggplants and scoop out some of the flesh (a good ice cream scoop in the shape of a spoon is ideal for this), reserving the flesh. Brown the eggplants in the oil on both sides, then place them cut-side up in a baking dish greased with olive oil. Chop the onion and cook in the pan until translucent. Meanwhile, cut the eggplant flesh into small pieces and add to the onions. Blanch the tomatoes in hot water, peel them, chop them, and add them to the pan with the garlic. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and stir in the parsley. Pour this mixture into the scooped-out eggplants. Preheat the oven to 200°C (top/bottom heat) (180°C with the oven covered). Add the tomato pulp from the packet to the now empty pan, heat, and season with salt, pepper, and honey. Pour the mixture around the eggplants. Sprinkle with the grated pecorino cheese. Place in the preheated oven for about 50 minutes. Tip: If you don’t want to use tomato pulp from a Tetra Pak, simply use 1 kg of chopped tomatoes instead. Simmer them in the pan with the skin on for 5 minutes. Then season to taste and strain through a sieve.