Pepperoni Ripieni Peppers Stuffed with Eggplant

The dairy section of La cucina nella tradizione ebraica is the source of this delicious adaption of eggplant-stuffed peppers. It is basically a Sephardo-Italian dolma or a chopped version of eggplant Parmesan slipped inside a pepper.

Serves 4


Ingredients:

3 eggplants, about 1 pound each, peeled and diced
Salt
Olive oil, as needed
1 egg
5 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
3 to 4 tablespoons fine bread crumbs
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
4 large bell peppers, halved lengthwise and stems, seeds and thick ribs removed
½ to ¾ pound fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced
3 to 4 tablespoons water

Method:

1.	Sprinkle the diced eggplant with salt, place in a colander, and let stand for about 1 hour to drain off any bitter juices. Rinse and pat dry.
2.	Warm ¼ cup olive oil in a sauté pan over low heat. Add the eggplant in batches and sauté until tender, about 10 minutes, adding more oil as needed.
3.	Transfer to a bowl and mash with a fork, or pulse in a food processor. (A 1-pound eggplant yields about 1¾ cups puree). Add the egg, basil, breadcrumbs, and salt and pepper to taste.
4.	Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F.
5.	Arrange the peppers hollow ends up in a baking dish. Stuff the eggplant mixture into the peppers, dividing it evenly. Top each pepper half with a slice of mozzarella.
6.	Drizzle a little olive oil into the baking dish and add the water.
7.	Cover with aluminum foil. Bake until the peppers are tender and cheese is melted, 35 to 40 minutes. Serve warm.

Notes:

Although not traditional, the eggplant mixture could be seasoned with a few tablespoons of pesto instead of chopped basil.
A few tablespoons of chopped basil could be added to the filling.
To reduce the amount of oil in this dish, the whole eggplants can be baked in an oven pre-heated to 350 or 400 degrees F until tender. Let cool, then peel and remove the seeds if they are numerous. Drain the pulp in a colander for 15 minutes, then chop coarsely and proceed with the recipe.
I tried this both ways and I must report that the eggplant sautéed in oil tasted a lot better.