Baked Eggplant Casserole with Tomatoes and Cottage Cheese

1. 1 Eggplant≈ $4.33 per kg 200 g
2. 2 Tomatoes≈ $4.67 per kg 200 g
3. 3 Cottage cheese 5% (tvorog)pack 300 g ≈ $2.80 110 g
4. 4 Garlic≈ $10.00 per kg 5 g
5. 5 Onions≈ $1.60 per kg 20 g
6. 6 Dry red winepack 750 ml ≈ $9.00 40 ml
7. 7 Hard cheesepack 200 g ≈ $2.70 25 g
8. 8 Fresh basilpack 30 g ≈ $2.50 8 g
9. 9 Nutmeg to taste
10. 10 Ground black pepper 1 g
11. 11 Sunflower oil 15 ml
12. 12 Salt 2 g

Grey rows are pantry staples: salt, oil, spices. They are not counted in the serving price.

Method

1. Slice eggplants¹ lengthwise into thin planks, sprinkle with salt, let sit for 25 minutes, then rinse and pat dry⁶. Pan-fry one-third of the slices in oil for 2 minutes per side.

2. Cube the remaining eggplant¹, slice tomatoes², and finely chop onion⁵ and garlic⁴.

3. In a pan with oil, sauté onion⁵ and eggplant¹ cubes for 5 minutes. Add tomatoes², garlic⁴, white wine, salt, and pepper, then simmer for 15 minutes.

4. Stir in basil, simmer 1 more minute, then remove from heat. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).

5. Mix cottage³ cheese with nutmeg and half the grated cheese.

6. Layer half the pan-fried eggplant¹ slices in a baking dish, then add the vegetable mixture, cottage³ cheese, and the remaining eggplant slices.

7. Top with the remaining cheese and bake for 25 minutes at 350°F (180°C) until golden brown.