Stuffed Grilled Eggplants

INGREDIENTS

• 2 medium size eggplants
• ¾ cup of olive oil
• 12 slices of cheese (tuma, provoletta or mozzarella)
• 12 fillets of anchovies
• 3 tablespoons of capers, rinsed
• 1 tablespoon of pine nuts
• chopped Italian parsley
• salt and pepper

PREPARATION

The Eggplants
Wash eggplants, remove stalks and slice horizontally with the skin on, about ½ inch thick. Remove excess skin from the first and last slice of each eggplant.
Place eggplants in a colander, salt lightly and set aside for 20 minutes.
Rinse the sliced eggplant, and drain for a few minutes. Gently pat dry with a clean dish towel or paper towels, brush both sides with oil and grill the eggplant slices until tender, about 3 minutes on each side.
If a grill is not available use your oven at 400 degrees, cooking it for 5 minutes on each side or until tender.                           

The Making
Place grilled eggplants in a pan or large dish and place a slice of the cheese on each slice, add one fillet of anchovy broken in pieces, a few capers, a few pine nuts, some parsley and a sprinkle of pepper. Fold and roll up each slice, starting at the narrow side of the slice, secure with a wooden toothpick and set aside.

The Serving
When ready to serve, grill the eggplant rollatini for a few minutes until hot and tender, 3 to 4 minutes.
If a grill is not available, place rollatini in an oiled pan 11”X7”, drizzle with oil and bake in a hot oven at 400 degrees, for about 5 minutes.
Place cooked eggplant in a serving dish, drizzle with olive oil and serve immediately.