A delicious Italian appetizer recipe, melanzane in carrozza are eggplant sandwiches with a slice of melted cheese in the center, breaded and fried until crisp.
Melanzane in carrozza, which translates as eggplant in a carriage, is an Italian eggplant appetizer. This recipe is a variation of mozzarella in carrozza, a decadent Italian grilled cheese sandwich that is breaded and fried until crisp and golden.
In this version, the bread is replaced with thinly sliced eggplant. The perfect vessel to encase melted cheese and basil!
This is the ideal vegetarian Italian antipasto, in my opinion! Or why not enjoy a few along with a salad for lunch. You may also choose to add a slice of your favorite cured meats such as prosciutto or mortadella to your sandwich.
Can melanzane in carrozza be baked instead of fried?
There's no doubt that I prefer the fried version of melanzane in carrozza, however you may bake them instead.
Place the prepared eggplant sandwiches on a baking sheet generously greased with olive oil, top each one with a drizzle of oil.
Bake in a 400 degrees F preheated oven for 30 minutes, flip halfway through baking. Enjoy hot!
Ingredient List
- Eggplant: use Italian eggplant sliced crosswise into rounds
- Cheese: any cheese that melts well such as caciocavallo (shown); mozzarella; scamorza or fontina.
- Basil: fresh basil leaves
- Breadcrumbs: unseasoned or seasoned Italian breadcrumbs (if you prefer)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Oil for frying: canola, vegetable, avocado, peanut oil are all good options.
Substitutions and Variations
- Add a thin slice of tomato to each sandwich.
- For a non-vegetarian option add a slice of your favorite cured meats such as prosciutto or mortadella.
- For extra flavor, add 2 tbsp. grated Parmigiano cheese to the breading.
- Use any variety of cheese that melts well including mozzarella; scamorza or fontina.
Top Tip
-Do not slice the eggplant more than 0.5 cm thick or they will not cook thoroughly when fried.
-Be sure to dredge the edges in the flour, eggs and breadcrumbs to seal the sandwiches when frying.
The following are step by step instructions with images to guide you through this recipe. Please scroll to the end of this post for the detailed printable recipe card.
How to make Melanzane in Carrozza
- Slice the eggplants crosswise into 0.5 cm rounds. Pair eggplant slices to make sandwiches. I managed to make 16. Slice cheese into 0.5 cm thick round slices to fit in the eggplant sandwich. Prepare your dredging station: place flour with a pinch of salt in a shallow bowl; beat eggs with a pinch of salt in a second bowl; and breadcrumbs with salt in a third bowl.
- Place a slice of cheese and 1 or 2 basil leaves on an eggplant and top with a second eggplant round. Continue with the remaining ingredients.
- Dredge each eggplant sandwich in the flour, shaking off excess. Then dredge both sides in the eggwash allowing excess to drip off.
- Lastly, dredge both sides in the breadcrumbs. Be sure to dredge the edges of each sandwich as well.
- Preheat oil to the depth of 2 cm in a deep skillet over medium high heat. Fry each eggplant sandwich until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper towel covered baking sheet to absorb excess oil. Serve hot.
Recipe FAQs
-Assemble in advance and keep refrigerated for a few hours before frying and serving your melanzane in carrozza.
-Alternately, once fried they can be reheated until hot and crisp in a 350 degrees F preheated oven for about 20 minutes.
Yes it can. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Generously grease a baking sheet with olive oil. Place eggplant sandwiches on the baking sheet and drizzle extra olive oil over the top. Bake for 30 minutes, flipping them halfway through.
-Keep leftovers refrigerated for up to 3 days.
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More eggplant recipes for you to check out!
Melanzane in Carrozza Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 kg eggplants 2 medium Italian eggplants
- 400 grams cheese any variety that melts well such as mozzarella; caciocavallo; scamorza or fontina
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 4 large eggs
- 1½ cups unseasoned Italian breadcrumbs
- salt, to taste
- handful fresh basil leaves
- oil for frying such as vegetable, canola, avocado or peanut
Instructions
- Slice the eggplants crosswise into 0.5 cm rounds. Pair eggplant slices to make sandwiches. I managed to make 16.
- Slice cheese into 0.5 cm thick round slices to fit in the eggplant sandwich.
- Prepare your dredging station: place flour with a pinch of salt in a shallow bowl; beat eggs with a pinch of salt in a second bowl; and breadcrumbs with salt in a third bowl.
- Place a slice of cheese and 1 or 2 basil leaves on an eggplant and top with a second eggplant round. Continue with the remaining ingredients.
- Dredge each eggplant sandwich in the flour, shaking off excess. Then dredge in the eggwash allowing excess to drip off. Lastly, dredge in the breadcrumbs. Be sure to dredge the edges of each sandwich as well.
- Preheat oil to the depth of 2 cm in a deep skillet over medium high heat.
- Fry each eggplant sandwich until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper towel covered baking sheet to absorb excess oil.
- Serve hot.
Notes
-For a non-vegetarian option add a slice of your favorite cured meats such as prosciutto or mortadella.
-Use any variety of cheese that melts well including mozzarella; scamorza or fontina.
-For extra flavor, add 2 tbsp. grated Parmigiano cheese to the breading. Tips -Do not slice the eggplant more than 0.5 cm thick or they will not cook thoroughly when fried.
-Be sure to dredge the edges in the flour, eggs and breadcrumbs to seal the sandwiches when frying. To Bake Yes it can. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Generously grease a baking sheet with olive oil. Place eggplant sandwiches on the baking sheet and drizzle extra olive oil over the top. Bake for 30 minutes, flipping them halfway through. Can they be made ahead? -Assemble in advance and keep refrigerated for a few hours before frying and serving your melanzane in carrozza.
-Alternately, once fried they can be reheated until hot and crisp in a 350 degrees F preheated oven for about 20 minutes. Storage Keep leftovers refrigerated for up to 3 day.s
Anna Bucciarelli
Love this Nadia ... I thought I'd 'invented' this when I brought a big batch of it to my sister's daughter's engagement party many years ago. They've become a staple in our family get togethers ever since, each of my sisters doing their own version, some with slices of ham, some with tomatoes (from their gardens, never supermarket tomatoes!). So ... I am very happy to see you sharing this for I know they will be appreciated by others.
Nadia
Hi Anna, who knows maybe you did invent this! Regardless, it is no doubt a favorite. I had only enjoyed the original version with bread in the past but I think I prefer with eggplant instead, you can never go wrong with egggplant. And so I decided I needed to share the recipe with my fellow eggplant lovers. Thanks for your comment Anna!