SARDINIAN EGGPLANT

Ingredients · Garlic: 2 cloves
· Il Cavallino Traditional Extra Virgin Olive Oil: 15g
· Salt up: to taste
· Black pepper: to taste
· Eggplant: 970 g
· Copper tomatoes: 500 g
· Chopped parsley: 3 tbsp

Preparation To prepare Sardinian aubergines, you can use both the elongated and the round violet varieties. First wash the aubergines and cut them into half-centimeter slices. With the blade of a knife, cut each slice of aubergine making vertical, horizontal and transversal lines, so as to form a checkerboard pattern. This operation will make it easier to lose the bitter mood of the aubergines and facilitate uniform cooking. Salt the aubergine slices and place them in a colander. Cover them with a plate on which you will put a weight in order to compress them and leave them like this for half an hour, so that they lose the bitter liquid. In the meantime, wash the tomatoes, cut them in half and gently hollow out the inside with a small knife to remove the seeds. Now cut them into half-centimeter pieces and pour them into a bowl. At this point season the tomatoes: add the garlic cloves and three tablespoons of finely chopped parsley, the salt and finally the oil. Stir and let the pieces of tomatoes macerate with the sauce for a few minutes. Meanwhile, after half an hour, take the aubergine slices and check that they have released the bitter water. Rinse them under cold running water and then dry them well with kitchen paper or a cloth. Then, heat the static oven to 180 ° -200 °. Grease a 34 cm high-sided baking dish with olive oil and start forming a layer of eggplant. Then cover with a layer of chopped cherry tomatoes. Continue in this way until you have used up all the eggplants, as shown in the photo. Then bake the pan in a preheated static oven and cook at 200 ° for at least 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve the aubergines hot or cold according to your tastes.