Eggplant Timballo | The Flavor of Sicily from the Oven

Wash the eggplants and slice them lengthwise into thin slices of about 5 mm. Place the slices on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, brush them with 20 ml of olive oil, sprinkle with a little sea salt, and bake in a preheated oven at 200°C for 15-20 minutes, until tender and lightly browned.

In a large skillet, heat the remaining 20 ml of olive oil and sauté the crushed garlic cloves for 1 minute until fragrant. Add the tomato passata, season with sea salt and ground black pepper, then let the sauce simmer over low heat for 10-12 minutes. Finally, stir in the torn fresh basil leaves.

Boil the penne pasta in salted boiling water for 2 minutes less than the package instructions so they remain very al dente. Drain the pasta and immediately toss it with the flavorful tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella cubes, and half of the grated Parmesan.