Quick info

  • Servings: 2
  • Prep: 15 minutes
  • Baking: 15 + 7 minutes
  • Tools: baking tray, baking paper, knife, spoon, pastry brush

Ingredients

  • Eggplant (long ones work best) about 600g (21.2 oz) (or 1 medium eggplant = 1 person / 1 large eggplant = 2 people)
  • Tomato passata (or ready-made basil sauce) 200g (7.1 oz)
  • Mozzarella (I use Veggarella or Mezzarè): 125g (4.4 oz)
  • Fresh basil 2 or 3 leaves (or 1 teaspoon of dried oregano)
  • Extra virgin olive oil 3 tablespoons (1 for the tomato, 1 for the eggplant, 1 over the mini-pizzas)
  • Salt 1 pinch
  • Pepper 2 turns of the pepper mill
Baked eggplant mini-pizzas with tomato and mozzarella, served on a tray with some bread

Method

Prep

  1. Prep the eggplant: preheat a conventional oven to 190°C (374°F). Wash about 600g (21.2 oz) of eggplant, trim the ends and slice into rounds at least 1 cm (0.4 in) thick. Don’t go thinner — they’ll dry out in the oven.

  2. Prep the tomato: season 200g (7.1 oz) of tomato passata with 1 tablespoon of oil drizzled over, half the pinch of salt and 1 turn of the pepper mill. If you’re using ready-made basil sauce, taste it before adding salt — it might already be seasoned enough.

  3. Prep the cheese and herbs: drain 125g (4.4 oz) of mozzarella well and cut it into small pieces. Wash and tear 2 or 3 fresh basil leaves, or set aside 1 teaspoon of dried oregano.

Bake

  1. Bake the eggplant: arrange the rounds on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, without overlapping them. Brush with 1 tablespoon of oil and scatter over the remaining salt and 1 turn of the pepper mill. Bake in the preheated oven at 190°C (374°F) for 15 minutes.

  2. Assemble the mini-pizzas: take the eggplant out and spread all the tomato over the rounds, leaving the edges clean. Divide the mozzarella between the slices, placing it in the middle. If you went with oregano, scatter it over the mini-pizzas now, then finish with 1 tablespoon of oil drizzled over the top.

  3. Melt the cheese: put the tray back in the oven at 190°C (374°F) for another 7 minutes, until the cheese is fully melted.

  4. Serve: if you went with fresh basil, add it right as the mini-pizzas come out of the oven. Serve hot or warm, with some bread on the side.

Notes

They keep in the fridge for 1–2 days and reheat easily in the oven or a pan. Tucked between two slices of bread, they do a pretty convincing impression of a parmigiana.