Involtini di Melanzane

Sicily understands eggplant better than anywhere else in Italy. The Arabs who ruled the island for two centuries brought the melanzana with them, and Sicilian cooks have been transforming it ever since. Involtini are the proof of this mastery: thin slices of grilled eggplant rolled around creamy ricotta, nestled in tomato sauce, baked until everything melds into one thing.

This is cucina povera at its most satisfying. No meat, no pretense, nothing that costs more than a few coins at the market. What you need is ripe eggplant, good ricotta (sheep's milk if you can find it, as they use in Sicily), and tomatoes that taste like summer. The technique is simple. Salt your eggplant, grill it properly, roll it with care, bake it with attention.

Americans often treat vegetarian Italian food as lesser, as something missing the main event. Sicilians know better. When vegetables are the center of the plate, they receive the cook's full attention. Nothing is an afterthought. These involtini are not a substitute for meat. They are complete in themselves.