This recipe uses sapa which is a popular condiment in Le Marche, but not well-known outside of Italy. It’s like a sweet, rich, almost toffee-flavoured balsamic vinegar. If you have trouble finding it and inexplicably haven’t snapped it up from our Nudo shop, you could get away with using a good quality balsamic here instead.
Prep Time 10 Minutes
Serves 4
Cook Time 10 Minutes
Difficulty Easy
Ingredients
- Aubergines – 2 fairly large ones
- Salt – 2 tablespoons
- Extra virgin olive oil – 4 teaspoons
- Ricotta - 150g/ 5.3oz. - For the filling:
- Pecorino - 400g/ 14oz. cut into small cubes
- Egg yolks - 2 - For the sauce:
- Sapa – 100ml/ 3.4 floz
- Vegetable broth – 50ml/ 1.7 floz
- Balsamic vinegar – 10ml/ 0.33 floz
- Salt & pepper to taste
Method
- Cut the aubergines longways into thin slices of 0.5 to 0.8cm/ 0.2 in to 0.3 in. Cover them with plenty of salt and a bit of water and leave for at least 15 minutes. Rinse them and then pat dry. Lightly brush each side with olive oil and brown them a bit in a non-stick frying pan for about 5 minutes.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the ricotta and the pecorino. Add a little salt and pepper. Then take one aubergine slice at a time and put a teaspoonful of the cheese mixture at one, thin end. Roll up the aubergine all the way to the other end, like a Swiss roll. Put the roll onto a baking tray lined with baking paper. Do this with all the aubergine slices. You’ll want about 4 rolls per person.
- For the sauce, beat the egg yolks with salt and pepper, add the sapa, the stock and the balsamic vinegar and mix well. Put the mixture on a Bain Marie (a heatproof mixing bowl on top of a saucepan of boiling water) and carry on stirring at high heat for a few minutes.
- Now cook the involtini (rolls) at gas mark 7/220oC/425F for about 5 minutes. Take them out, lay them on your plates and pour your sauce over the top. Garnish with a bit of parsley and some chopped tomatoes. According to Chef Biagiali it should be enjoyed with a very cold glass of white, such as a Falerio from Vigna Solaria.