“Milingiani mbuttunati”, “buttoned eggplants” in Calabrian dialect or “Buttoned Eggplants” in Italian, is a typical dish from the Calabrian tradition, especially from the Locride area.
For this dish, a type of eggplant called “violette” is needed. They are typical eggplants from the Locride region, long and thin in shape. They are called “mbuttunati” because of the buttonhole-shaped cut. – eggplants (violette), bread (freshly grated), Grana cheese (grated), garlic (chopped), basil (chopped), salt, tomato passata, seed oil (for frying), onion. Cut the eggplant (with the tip of a knife) lengthwise, being careful not to cut through the base completely.
This dish is an excellent vegetable second course also suitable for vegetarians. Additionally, it offers the possibility to make a first course, as the passata in which the fried eggplants were immersed can be used to dress a preferably short pasta.





