A simple dish, quick to make, which is ideal as a summer appetizer. We suggest pairing it with a Vermentino di Gallura Monteoro 2022 Sella & Mosca.
Ingredients for 4 people:
200g mild Provolone Valpadana PDO, 1 oval eggplant, 70ml tomato puree, 1 garlic clove, 150g breadcrumbs, extra-virgin olive oil, salt, pepper and fresh basil.
Directions:
Wash and carefully dry the eggplant. Cut off the ends and cut the eggplant into 1cm-thick slices. Baste the slices with EVOO and bread them, making sure the crumbs stick uniformly to the discs.
Place the eggplant slices on parchment paper and bake them for 15 minutes at 200°C, turning them over halfway through.
Sauté the garlic in 2 tablespoons of EVOO in a small pan. Add the tomato puree, salt and pepper to taste, add some basil leaves and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the heat and the garlic from the sauce.
Cut the mild Provolone Valpadana into sticks.
Remove the eggplant from the oven and let it cool slightly. Place a little sauce at the center of each disc, put a cheese stick at the center and then roll it up and use a toothpick to keep the roulade intact.
Bake the roulades for 10 minutes, until the cheese has melted. Remove the roulades from the oven, place them on a serving platter, garnish with some fresh basil and serve.
Wine to pair:
(by Stefania Vinciguerra)
Vermentino di Gallura Superiore Monteoro 2022 Sella & Mosca
Bright straw color announces intense, marine aromas. Rich in fruity notes, it fades to hints of aromatic herbs and wild flowers. In the mouth it has soft, complex entry, enlivened by bright acidity that gives freshness and length. The Mediterranean character is always present and marine notes accompany the sip.
Production area: in Gallura, northern Sardinia, Sella & Mosca grows its grapes in the hilly strip of the southern slope of Mount Limbara, characterized by granitic disintegration soils and a warm climate but excellent summer temperature ranges.
Grape variety: 100% Vermentino, trained to spurred cordon with a planting density of 4000 vines/ha and a yield of 8 tons/ha. Average age of vines 18 years.
Vinification: grapes are softly crushed, then follows a light cold maceration and a long fermentation in stainless steel. The wine does not undergo malolactic fermentation and ages on the lees, in stainless steel, for four months.
Alcohol content: 14.5% vol.
Serving temperature: 8°C.
Recommended food pairings: spaghetti with seafood or bottarga, swordfish, baked sea bass, turbot with orange, egg and vegetable pie.
