Stuffed Aubergines

Stuffed Aubergines are that classic leftovers dish that has become a main course in its own right. Filled with tuna and vegetables and gratinated with cheese until golden, they make a complete and comforting meal. A timeless recipe, with Picual giving body to the sofrito in the filling.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mediterranean

Keyword Aubergine, EVOO Recipes, Lunches, Picual at veraison, Traditional

Total Time 1 30

Servings 4 people

Ingredients

2 Medium aubergines
3 cans Tuna
300 g Natural fried tomato sauce
150 g Grated cheese
1 Onion
2 Green peppers
½ Red pepper
2 cloves Garlic
2 tablespoons Picual at Veraison EVOO
Salt To taste

Instructions

Prepare the aubergines.
Chop the pepper, onion and garlic. Cut the aubergines in half and soak them in salted water for 10 minutes.
Bake them.
Bake the aubergines at 180 ºC (top and bottom heat, fan on) for 40 minutes. Remove them and scoop out the flesh with a spoon, chopping it into pieces.

When scooping out the aubergine, work with a spoon from the centre towards the edges so you don't break the skin.

Make the sofrito filling.
Sauté the pepper in EVOO over medium heat for 4-5 minutes. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 2-3 more minutes. Stir in the aubergine flesh and cook for 10 minutes. Add half of the tomato sauce and the tuna, and cook for 10 more minutes.
Stuff and gratinate.
Stuff the aubergines and place them on a tray over a base of tomato sauce. Add the grated cheese and bake again at 180 ºC for 10 minutes.

Notes

We chose Picual for its great stability, ideal for frying and sautéing. Of our three EVOOs, it has the highest level of polyphenols, which are responsible for that stability.
They can be prepared the day before, leaving only the final gratinating for when you serve them.
It pairs well with a simple green salad to lighten the meal.
If you have leftover filling, it freezes well in portions; it can also be used to stuff peppers or cannelloni.