Grilled aubergines & Provolizie rolls

Method

1. Cut the tomatoes in quarters and de-seed, then cut them into strips (half to be cut into small cubes and mixed with the chopped mint). 
2. In a mixer blend the basil, the pine nuts, salt and extravirgin olive oil to obtain a runny sauce. 
3. Put the aubergine slices on the cutting board and cover them with the Thin Auricchio Slices, a few pieces of chopped tomatoes and a bit of the basil sauce. 
4. Roll them up and put them on an oven tray. 
5. Now scatter the cubed tomatoes and the broken carasau bread all over the rolls, so that they can be toasted in the oven. 
6. Bake for 5 minutes at 190°C (375°F) until the Auricchio cheese melts.
7. Serve the rolls with croutons or crackers and sprinkle them with the remaining basil sauce.

Chef's tip

Try this recipe with rocket pesto too! All you need to do is replace the basil with rocket.

Serving suggestion

Serve after a nice, light starter (such as Tagliatelle alla Checca) or as a side dish to a main course. 

Wine selection

Merlot Sicilia DOC or Negroamaro Salento IGT among the red wines; Rosé wine or Greco di Tufo for the white wines, served cold.

Family tip

If you like stronger tastes you can use Provolizie Piccanti instead of the mild ones.

Dish history

The grilled aubergine rolls are a typical vegetarian main course of Mediterranean cuisine, but can be served as a side dish or as an appetiser as well. It is a very versatile recipe and can be modified according to the cook's personal taste by adding certain ingredients - like for example cooked ham, olives..- or by leaving out others. It's a traditional Italian dish that can be enjoyed warm or cold and contains all the typical flavours of the national cuisine - even though aubergines are native to Asia. This vegetable belongs to the nightshade family and has many beneficial properties: it helps combat water retention, facilitates digestion, improves liver function and reduces blood pressure. So basically you can eat yourself healthy - enjoy!