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Melanzane a Funghetto (Italian Eggplant and Tomatoes)
Italian eggplant and tomatoes, or as we call them "Melanzane a Funghetto", are a typical Neapolitan side dish. It's an easy, quick and appetizing vegetarian recipe, just like Zucchine alla Scapece!This simple and appetizing regional dish owes its curious name to the way the eggplant is cut. The small cubes of eggplant, when cooked, take on the appearance of small mushrooms ("funghetto" in Italian). So, despite the name, mushrooms are not an ingredient in this recipe!
Ingredients
- 500 g eggplant 1.1 pound
- 350 ml olive oil 1 ½ cups, extra virgin
- 300 g tomatoes 10 oz, cherry or grape
- 2 cloves garlic
- 8 leaves fresh basil
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
Instructions
- Wash the eggplant. Then remove the ends and cut into slices about 2 cm (¾ inch) thick and then into cubes with the skin on. For even cooking, try to make cubes of about the same size. The cubes should be small, but not too small. In fact, they should not melt during cooking, but should remain well separated and visible.
- Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a non-stick frying pan. Add the diced eggplant and fry until golden brown. Drain the eggplant cubes with a slotted spoon and set aside on paper towels.
- Wash and cut the tomatoes into 4 pieces, removing the seeds. Pour off the excess oil from the pan in which you fried the eggplant. Leaving only a small amount of oil, add the tomatoes and garlic cloves, whole and peeled. Cook over a low heat for about 10 minutes.
- Remove the garlic and add the fried eggplant cubes. Add salt and a pinch of pepper to taste. Stir with a wooden spoon and cook over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes. Carefully turn and stir so that it does not become too creamy, but the eggplant and cherry tomatoes are still clearly visible.
Nutrition
Serving: 100gCalories: 753kcalCarbohydrates: 11gProtein: 2gFat: 80gSaturated Fat: 11gPolyunsaturated Fat: 9gMonounsaturated Fat: 58gSodium: 8mgPotassium: 474mgFiber: 5gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 706IUVitamin C: 14mgCalcium: 24mgIron: 1mg
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