Aubergine cream: the recipe for the tasty and versatile cream

The eggplant cream is a tasty and versatile preparation, a sauce based on roasted eggplant in the oven, grated parmesan, fresh basil, garlic, extra virgin olive oil and salt. Quick and easy to make, it requires the use of a simple kitchen mixer: you just need to blend all these ingredients together until you get a smooth and full-bodied consistency. Ideal to spread on croutons or to accompany raw vegetables, for a antipastoan aperitif or a party buffet, can be used for season the pastaa rice salad or to garnish main courses with meat and fish.

The aubergine cream is very popular in Mediterranean countries, although with different names: among the best known, we find babaganoush, a Lebanese sauce used in Middle Eastern cuisine which, among other ingredients, includes lemon juice, tahini sauce and paprika. Our recipe, on the other hand, draws on the flavors and aromas typical of Italian tradition, in particular to the Sicilian one. It is a kind of pesto that you can enrich as you like: for example, you can also add a few drops of lemon juice, spices of your taste or other aromatic herbs, such as mint for example.

You can replace the Parmesan with pecorino, parmesan, with creamy spreadable cheese or cow’s milk ricotta: you will get a voluptuous sauce with which to enrich a good plate of pasta. You can enrich it with Sesame seeds or toasted pine nuts, for a pleasantly crunchy note, or with tuna fillets in oil, for a filling to be used for a sandwich, a flatbread or a focaccia.

Find out how to prepare the aubergine cream by following the step by step procedure and advice. Also try the aubergine pesto and the aubergine and courgette pesto.

How to prepare the eggplant cream

Rinse the eggplant and dry it, then place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and prick it with the prongs of a fork. Bake in a preheated oven at 200 ° C for about 20 minutes, take out and leave to cool 1.

Once cool, gently peel off the peel 2 and then the petiole.

Shred the pulp with your hands 3.

Transfer the pulp to a colander 4 and let it drain for at least half an hour.

Pour the drained pulp into a kitchen mixer and add the garlic clove 5.

Add the grated Parmesan 6.

Pour in the oil 7add a few basil leaves and season with salt.

Blend everything until you get a thick and homogeneous cream 8.

Transfer your cream to a small bowl and complete with a few basil leaves, a drizzle of oil and a grind of pepper 9.

storage

Store the aubergine cream in the refrigerator, in a glass jar with a lid or in a suitable airtight container, to 1-2 days. Freezing is not recommended.