Eggplant and goats cheese involtini

These delicious little parcels make a perfect canape, or they can be baked with a peperonata sauce for a hearty vegetarian main. The recipe has also been featured in Oxfam’s new cookbook Stop Hunger Start Cooking. If you make it, post a picture on Twitter, tag it with #stophungerstartcooking, and you could win some delicious Oxfam prizes! 🙂

Involtini:

• 2 medium sized eggplants
• 1 log (150g) goats cheese
• 150g ricotta cheese
• large handful baby spinach leaves
• 5 fresh sage leaves
• 50ml extra virgin olive oil
• pepper

Peperonata sauce:

• 2 red capsicums, diced
• 1 yellow capsicum, diced
• 1 red onion, diced
• 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
• a handful of flat-leaf parsley, including stalks, roughly chopped (keep separate)
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• salt and pepper
• extra virgin olive oil

To serve as part of an antipasto platter:

1. Slice the eggplants lengthways, into slices half a centimentre thick.
2. Spray or brush liberally with olive oil and grill or barbecue for approximately 3 minutes each side, or until cooked through.
3. Finely chop the spinach and sage leaves.
4. Combine the goats cheese, ricotta, spinach, sage and olive oil.
5. Season with a generous grinding of fresh pepper.
6. Spread each slice of eggplant with a spoonful of the cheese mixture and roll up.

To serve as a main dish:

1. Make the peperonata sauce: saute the capsicum in some olive oil over medium heat.
2. Cook slowly, covered, for 10 minutes until sweet and soft.
3. Add the onion to the pan and cook for another 20 minutes.
4. Add the garlic and parsley stalks and fry for a minute.
5. Stir in the vinegar then season to taste.
6. Place the involtini into a 20 x 25cm baking dish in a single layer.
7. Cover with the peperonata sauce and top with a little mozzarella cheese, if desired.
8. Bake for 10-15 minutes at 200C until the cheese is melted and the involtini are hot through.
9. Serve topped with fresh parsley leaves and a glug of extra virgin oilve oil.